High protein diets 'could cause Alzheimer's'

By Richard Alleyne, Science Correspondent

Researchers found that mice fed meals similar to those of the original Atkin's Diet had brains five per cent lighter than all the others.
They also found that the hippocampus part of the brain, which is responsible for memory, were less developed in those rodents on the high protein diet.

Scientists say the findings, published in the journal Molecular Neurodegeneration, suggest the ravages of dementia "might be slowed or avoided through healthy eating".  READ MORE

Super Obesity Ups Risk of Dying After Weight-Loss Surgery

Deaths also more common among those with chronic diseases, study finds


WEDNESDAY, Oct. 21 (HealthDay News) -- People who are super obese and those with the most chronic health problems face an increased risk for dying within a year after weight-loss surgery, a new U.S. study has found.  READ MORE

What's new in the battle against breast cancer?

By Holly Atkinson, MD
Think mammograms may not be useful? Well, think again. A new US study of almost 7000 women showed that women who never received a mammogram are far more likely to die of breast cancer compared with women who get the screening test on an ongoing basis.

Almost 75 percent of the women who died of breast cancer in the study had either never had a mammogram or were diagnosed upon having their very first one. In contrast, only 25 percent of women who had received more than one mammogram died of breast cancer over the 12 years the researchers tracked the women in the study.

The bottom line? This simple x-ray test, which can spot tumors while still very small and treatable, is the best way to avoid death from breast cancer. So, be sure to get your mammograms!  VIEW VIDEO

Men can get (and beat) breast cancer

Breast cancer strikes men, too. Just ask KISS rocker Peter Criss, who is speaking out about his successful treatment during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Criss joins other male stars who have battled the illness and want you to know the facts. READ MORE

Green tea may curb risk of some cancers

SOURCE: American Journal of Epidemiology, September 15, 2009
Published October 13, 2009

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Drinking green tea may lower your risk of developing certain blood cancers but it will take about 5 cups a day, according to a study from Japan.

Drinking green tea has been associated with lower risk of dying and heart disease deaths, Dr. Toru Naganuma, at Tohoku University School of Medicine in Sendai, Japan told Reuters Health in an email correspondence.

The current study, Naganuma said, suggests drinking green tea may have a favorable effect "for particular cancers."

After gathering information on the diets and green tea drinking habits of a large group of Japanese adults aged 40 to 79 years old, Naganuma and colleagues followed the group for development of blood and "lymph system" cancers. The lymph system is a major component of the body's immune system

The 19,749 men and 22,012 women who participated in the study had no previous history of cancers, Naganuma and colleagues note in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

During 9 years of follow up, 157 blood, bone marrow and lymph system cancers developed in the study group.

Naganuma's team found that the overall risk for blood cancers was 42 percent lower among study participants who drank 5 or more, versus 1 or fewer, cups of green tea daily.

Drinking 5 or more cups of green tea daily was also associated with 48 percent lower risk for lymph system cancers.

These associations held up in analyses that allowed for age, gender, education, smoking status and history, alcohol use, and fish and soybean consumption.

The researchers also observed reduced risk for blood-related cancers among obese study participants, who are "considered to have higher risk of these cancers," Naganuma said.

The investigators say further studies are needed to confirm the health benefits of drinking green tea, and to determine whether daily consumption might prevent certain cancers.

SOURCE: American Journal of Epidemiology, September 15, 2009

The Benefits Of Resveratrol

Resveratrol has been featured on a number media outlets including 60 Minutes, Oprah, and the Discover Channel. Resveratrol Select has taken that one step further by combining the cell protective benefits of Resveratrol with our own proprietary blend to help you Enhance Cell Function, Boost Energy Leves, Lose Weight, Burn Fat and Increase your metabolism.

Red wine and resveratrol: Good for your heart?

Red wine and something in red wine called resveratrol might be heart healthy. Find out the facts, and hype, regarding red wine and its impact on your heart.

Red wine, in moderation, has long been thought of as heart healthy. The alcohol and certain substances in red wine called antioxidants may help prevent heart disease by increasing levels of "good" cholesterol and protecting against artery damage.

While the news about red wine might sound great if you enjoy a glass of red wine with your evening meal, doctors are wary of encouraging anyone to start drinking alcohol. That's because too much alcohol can have many harmful effects on your body.

Still, doctors do agree that something in red wine appears to help your heart, though it's unclear just exactly what that "something" is. Researchers think antioxidants, such as flavonoids or a substance called resveratrol, have promising heart-healthy benefits.

Antioxidants aren't the only substances in red wine that look promising. The alcohol in red wine also appears to be heart healthy. Find out what's known — and not known — about red wine and its possible heart-health benefits.
How is red wine heart healthy?

Research studies on the heart-health benefits of red wine have reported mixed results. Some studies show that red wine seems to have even more heart-health benefits than other types of alcohol, while other studies show that red wine isn't any better than beer, white wine or liquor for heart health. There's still no clear evidence yet that red wine is superior to other forms of alcohol when it comes to possible heart-health benefits.

The studies supporting red wine suggest antioxidants in red wine called polyphenols help protect the lining of blood vessels in your heart. These antioxidants come in two main forms: flavonoids and nonflavonoids.

Flavonoids. These antioxidants are found in a variety of foods, including oranges, grape juice, apples, onions, tea and cocoa. Other types of alcohol, such as white wine and beer, contain small amounts, too, but red wine has higher levels. Nonflavonoids. These antioxidants found in red wine have recently been of particular interest because they appear to help prevent arteries from becoming clogged with fatty blockages. However, these studies mostly involved mice — not humans. Resveratrol is the nonflavonoid that's received the most attention from researchers.

Resveratrol in red wine

Resveratrol might be a key ingredient in red wine that helps prevent damage to blood vessels, reduces "bad" cholesterol and prevents blood clots.

Most research on resveratrol has been conducted on animals, not people. Research in mice given resveratrol has indicated that the antioxidant might also help protect them from obesity and diabetes, both of which are strong risk factors for heart disease. However, those findings were reported only in mice, not in people. In addition, to get the same dose of resveratrol used in the mice studies, a person would have to consume 100 to 1,000 bottles of red wine a day.

Some research shows that resveratrol could be linked to a reduced risk of inflammation and blood clotting, both of which can lead to heart disease. More research is needed before it's known whether resveratrol was the cause for the reduced risk.

Some companies sell supplements containing resveratrol. However, not enough is known about resveratrol's effects to endorse resveratrol supplements. Research into the potential heart-health benefits of resveratrol is continuing.

Resveratrol in grapes and other foods

The resveratrol in red wine comes from the skin of grapes used to make wine. Because red wine is fermented with grape skins longer than is white wine, red wine contains more resveratrol. Simply eating grapes, or drinking grape juice, has been suggested as one way to get resveratrol without drinking alcohol. Some studies have suggested that red and purple grape juices have some of the same heart-healthy benefits of red wine.

Other foods that contain some resveratrol include peanuts, blueberries and cranberries. It's not yet known how beneficial eating grapes or other foods might be compared with drinking red wine when it comes to promoting heart health. The amount of resveratrol in food and red wine can vary widely.

How does alcohol help the heart?

Various studies have shown that moderate amounts of all types of alcohol benefit your heart, not just alcohol found in red wine. It's thought that alcohol:

Raises high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol

Reduces the formation of blood clots

Helps prevent artery damage caused by high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the "bad" cholesterol

Drink in moderation — or not at all

Red wine's potential heart-health benefits look promising. Those who drink moderate amounts of alcohol, including red wine, seem to have a lower risk of heart disease. However, more research is needed before we know whether red wine is better for your heart than are other forms of alcohol, such as beer or spirits.

Neither the American Heart Association nor the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommend that you start drinking alcohol just to prevent heart disease. Alcohol can be addictive and is associated with other health issues.

Drinking too much increases your risk of high blood pressure, high triglycerides, liver damage, obesity, certain types of cancer, accidents and other problems. In addition, even small amounts of alcohol can cause cardiomyopathy — weakened heart muscle — causing symptoms of heart failure in some people. If you have heart failure or a weak heart, you should avoid alcohol completely. If you take aspirin daily, you should avoid or limit alcohol, depending on your doctor's advice. You also shouldn't drink alcohol if you're pregnant. If you have questions about the benefits and risks of alcohol, talk to your doctor about specific recommendations for you.

If you already drink red wine, do so in moderation. Moderate drinking is defined as an average of two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women.

A drink is defined as 12 ounces (355 milliliters, or mL) of beer, 5 ounces (148 mL) of wine or 1.5 ounces (44 mL) of 80-proof distilled spirits.

The limit for men is higher because men generally weigh more and have more of an enzyme that metabolizes alcohol than women do.

Two hunger-fighting tools: Glycemic Index and Satiety Index

We know there's no miracle munchie, but if you had to choose just one food for snacking, based on how long it would keep you from getting hungry again, what would you choose to eat?

Maybe a better question is how would you choose? Diners and dieters familiar with the index could run through the numbers they know from that nifty scale and come up with a pretty good response for the question, but others may be more stymied. Read More

The Almighty Weight Fight - Environment vs Genetics

It's easy to argue that lifestyle choices and lack of willpower are responsible for our weight problems (it's the argument lean people tend to make). But it doesn't explain the 95 percent failure rate after two years of people who have lost fifty pounds or more; they had plenty of willpower to lose but regained the weight nonetheless. Researchers argue that obesity is more genetically linked than any trait except height - and at least 50 percent of obesity cases clearly have genetic components. The waist control game requires two players - environment and genetics. Even if your genes have made you predestined for a life of taking up two seats, that doesn't mean you should abdicate control over your body. When you make the right behavioral and biological changes in the book, You: On A Diet: The Owner's Manual for Waist Management
you'll be able to stay healthy and avoid the bad side effects of excess weight, like diabetes, high blood pressure (hypertension), and arterial inflammation. The biggest risk with these genes is not in the weight itself but in the predispositions for risk associated with obesity. One genetic problem associates with being overweight is called LEPTIN DEFICIENCY (leptin is a hormone associated with satiety). People who either don't produce leptin or block it's signals usually become morbidly obese, and the problem is surely genetic.

While some people have these abnormalities, they tend to be the minority of the population. If you need to worry about losing twenty-five, thirty-five, even fifty-five pounds, your problem is not likely to be genetic. Only when your excess weight exceeds one-hundred pounds would most doctors consider testing for genetic abnormalities. Still, leptin is only the tip of the iceberg as far as genetics and obesity are concerned. As the fight against obesity continues , we'll see more and more drug companies target genetic reasons for weight gain. The bottom line is waist management still falls on us, to improve our environment and our behavior so that our genetics can work for us, not against us.

Fighting Obesity One Meal At A Time

The biggest problem to overcome is the fact that eating causes the pleasure center of our brains to become stimulated, telling us that eating is a very good thing, especially when it comes to carbohydrates. Because carbohydrates are the primary source of energy for the body it is the one the brain craves the most. The second problem we face is the release of certain hormones known as hunger hormones. Released in the gastric-intestinal tract these hormones tell us when to eat and when to stop. the most important of these is ghrelin. It is this hormone that tells our bodies when we are hungry. When this hormone is out of balance our bodies feel hungry more often and in greater quantity. Other hormones regulate when we feel full and the conversion of the food into sugar. These challenges combine need to be overcome in order to lose excess pounds and stay at a healthy level.

Healthy, Well & Wise

15 Food Traps That Derail DietsThink your willpower is strong? It's nothing against the tricks supermarkets and restaurants use to get you to eat - and spend - more. With 1,000-calorie burgers and salads, value packaging and supersizing, you have to tread carefully to avoid a supersized waistline. Learn how to outsmart 15 food traps...

Click Here To Read More

Feeling Stuffed

A person’s sense of being “stuffed” or “bloated” is generally experienced during or immediately following a meal when food from the meal is still in the stomach, which is the upper part of the digestive tract. Carbohydrates are broken apart in the upper part of the digestive tract from the mouth to the stomach. This process begins the breakdown of carbohydrates. By breaking down the carbohydrates surfaces change. If you think of carbohydrates as a piece of paper, it only has four edges by which it can be absorbed or broken down further by the body’s enzymes. Now squish the paper into a ball and you increase the number of points to which the enzymes can enter. Because of this, carbohydrates, particularly complex carbs and starches, now act as a sponge absorbing more and more enzymes at a time. This sponge then resides in your stomach, which is located approximately at the lower center of your rib cage. That is why immediately after eating, especially carbohydrates, a person feels that pushed out feeling that is so uncomfortable.

Metabolic Syndrome

In a time where food is readily available to everyone in seemingly unlimited quantities it is not surprising that weight has become a serious health risk. In times past, food was a scarcity, thus weight was regulated by nature. However, in most developed countries that’s no longer the case. The result is an epidemic of weight problems and related illnesses. For instance, obesity is a known risk factor for diabetes, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke and hypertension, to name a few. All of these are indicative of a much greater problem known as Metabolic Syndrome (MS for short). MS is defined as a lifestyle condition, marked by abdominal obesity, elevated blood fats (cholesterol and triglycerides), chronic inflammation, and high blood pressure.