Search Results for: vitamin D

Feb
05
2013

News About Your Heart Health

By | Alzheimer’s disease, Arthritis, Cancer, Diabetes, Fitness, Health, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Hormones, Nutrition, Obesity, Prevention, Stroke, Vitamins and supplements, Weight loss

Introduction

Notably, this article is regarding news about your heart health. Specifically, February is heart month every year. So I thought why not review what is new regarding heart health in the last 15 years. In addition, this review also puts all the facts into perspective. I will start with a review of the older teaching about heart disease. First thing to remember, there was a paradigm shift in medical thinking. I will explain how this has changed the approach to heart disease prevention. The anatomy of the heart including coronary arteries and the heart valves has not changed over the years. The heart has always been at the center of life and will remain there.

A heart attack can develop from closing of one of the coronary arteries

It used to be thought that when a person ages one should expect to get problems with high cholesterol, which would be the cause of hardening of coronary arteries of the heart until one day the person would experience a heart attack from the closing of one or more of the three coronary arteries. Certainly, cardiologists can then offer an arteriogram, place a stent to reopen any blocked coronary artery and the patient would be OK for another 5 to 10 years. Alternatively, coronary bypass surgery can be offered by a cardiovascular surgeon to revascularize the coronary arteries.

Apart from cholesterol patients can get heart attacks from chronic inflammation

In contrast, in the mid 1990’s all this changed with the realization that 50% of heart attacks happened in patients who had normal cholesterol levels. In fact, research showed that inflammation of the heart vessels starts the process of subsequent blockage that causes heart attacks. A great deal of research in animal models and with humans took place. Indeed, this showed that a lot can be done in the area of prevention of heart attacks. Cure rates can only change very little when damage to the heart muscle has already occurred. The paradigm shift is in the understanding of what leads to a heart attack.

Too much sugar, starchy food and fat cause inflammation of the coronary arteries

We now know that too much sugar, too many starchy foods and too much animal fat will lead to inflammation of the arteries including the coronary arteries. The reason is that faulty nutrition leads to a lack of omega-3 fatty acids and a surplus of omega-6 fatty acids. This starts the inflammatory cycle, which causes inflammation in the arterial walls. Rising LDL cholesterol levels (that’s the bad cholesterol) follow and HDL cholesterol levels (that’s the good cholesterol) fall.

Nitric oxide production necessary to keep coronary arteries open

Associated with this is a lowering of nitric oxide production in the lining of the arterial walls, which leads to a narrowing of the arterial opening and simultaneous development of high blood pressure. Research of the metabolism of cells, particularly the subunits of cells called mitochondria, shed a new light on the heart as well. Mitochondria are the energy producing subunits of the cells. They are abundantly present in those organs that have a high metabolism. These organs are the heart, brain, liver and kidneys.

News About Your Heart Health

News About Your Heart Health

Life prolonging steps to prevent heart attacks

This newer knowledge allows the prevention-oriented physician to help patients not to get heart disease on the first place. The key is to prevent inflammation of the arteries and to add nitric oxide as a supplement. Also, the physician wants to change the food composition that the patient consumes. In addition, the physician wants to  intervene at the mitochondrial level. The patient achieves this with the help of supplements and by a regular exercise program. Over the years there have been impressive clinical trials that show that these preventative means when taken together can add 10 to 20 years of productive life without any disability. In the following I am going to describe the rationale for each of these life-prolonging steps:

Preventing inflammation of the arteries

Preventing inflammation of the arteries: at the moment many people eat the standard North American diet consisting of foods with too much sugar, processed foods with animal fat and lots of pasta. People need to eat a lot of leafy-green vegetables (kale, spinach, Swiss chard) and lean pork, turkey and chicken.  this will change the omega-3 to omega-6 ratio in favor of omega-3 fatty acids. This has a powerful effect on your body, as the surplus omega-3 fatty acids will suppress any inflammation in your blood vessels, which prevents heart attacks.

Eat organic foods

If you also eat as much organic food as possible, you will in addition reduce the toxic load in your body from heavy metals like lead and mercury and chemicals like herbicides and insecticides that often are contained in regular non-organic foods. By cutting out sugar and refined carbohydrates fasting insulin levels and triglyceride levels fall. This prevents diabetes and keeps your arteries open longer.

Adding nitric oxide and doing intermittent chelation therapy

By adding nitric oxide as a supplement such as “Neo40” (this supplement has hawthorn and red beet extract in it) the lining of the arteries gets a boost of nitric oxide production.  This lowers your blood pressure and widens the arteries in your body including the coronary arteries. The result is more oxygen and nutrients for your heart cells. By intervening at the mitochondrial level with the help of supplements and by doing occasional intravenous chelation therapyto remove heavy metals you can revive the sluggish metabolism of the mitochondria of your major organs. It’s like you are recharging the battery of your car, just here we are dealing with the microscopic energy packages, the mitochondria, in the cells of your vital organs including your heart.

Life prolonging supplements

Certain vitamins and supplements help in this process as follows: D-ribose, alpha-lipoic acid and CoQ10 support mitochondria; niacin lowers triglycerides and LDL cholesterol and elevates HDL-cholesterol (the good cholesterol); magnesium is an important cofactor of many enzymatic reactions in your cells and it also lowers blood pressure by widening the arteries making it easier for your heart to pump blood through them. Omega-3 and vitamin D3 both are anti-inflammatories, which makes these two important supplements for heart attack prevention. Vitamin D3 is also important for your immune system and helps to absorb calcium from the gut. Vitamin K2 has been found to be important to help transport the calcium into your bones preventing osteoporosis, so that it does not stay in your vascular system and cause hardening of your arteries by getting into your arterial walls.

Bioidentical hormone replacement

Bio-identical hormone replacement therapy is a powerful stimulus for the metabolism of your whole body, but particularly your heart. The heart needs adequate amounts of thyroid hormones and sex hormones (testosterone in males, balanced estrogen and progesterone in females). DHEA is a precursor hormone from your adrenal glands that your hormone balance requires for support of your heart muscle. The physician can order hormone tests and replace what is missing with bio-identical hormones.

Regular exercise program

A regular exercise program rounds up your heart support program. A regular exercise program by itself has been shown to be powerful heart attack prevention by cutting heart attack rates into half when compared to a non-exercise control group. Exercise builds up your heart muscle reserves and prevents clogging up of coronary arteries.

Lifestyle changes

Lifestyle changes can have a powerful effect in terms of preventing heart attacks. Everybody knows that those who smoke will not live as long as those who don’t. Smoking accelerates hardening of the arteries and causes not only heart attacks, but also cancer. Perhaps less known is the fact that alcohol can poison mitochondria. The fact that wine contains bioflavonoids is what prevents heart attacks.  Statistics show that 1 glass of wine for women and two glasses of wine for men prolong life. The wine industry was quick to exploit these statistics for the benefit of their sales. Fact is that even small doses of alcohol are a cell poison. Bioflavonoids are much more effective when taken as part of your daily supplements (resveratrol capsules) and it is much healthier for your heart and other body parts, if you do not consume any alcohol at all.

Apart from the Framingham Heart Study what we know

Originally the Framingham study showed that high LDL cholesterol was associated with heart attacks. But now we know that it is the overconsumption of sugar, high fructose corn syrup and refined carbohydrates in processed foods as well as animal fat overconsumption (mostly omega-6 fatty acids) that lead to inflammation of the lining of the arteries including LDL cholesterol overproduction from the liver. The focus has switched from lowering cholesterol and triglycerides to reducing and preventing inflammation and to supporting the mitochondria of the heart muscle cells.

Preventing 85% of heart attacks

Simple steps as outlined above have the power to prevent about 85% or more of heart attacks. They work by treating insulin resistance through the diet changes, which in turn lowers fasting insulin levels, blood sugars and triglycerides as well as cholesterol. Inflammation is kept at bay. You prevent heart disease and in addition also arthritis, high blood pressure, strokes and Alzheimer’s disease. One of the side effects is weight loss, extra energy and a sense of wellbeing.

More information on heart disease: http://nethealthbook.com/cardiovascular-disease/heart-disease/

Jan
14
2013

Treat The Cause, Not The Disease

By | Allergies, Anti-aging medicine, Gastrointestinal Disease, Infectious Disease, Medical Condition, Vitamins and supplements

At an anti-aging conference the topic of one of the talks was: treat the cause, not the disease. Traditionally, in Western medicine the doctor listens to the patient’s complaints, examines the patient, does some tests and then comes up with a diagnosis. Meanwhile a specific treatment regarding this diagnosis is then developed and a cure is expected. When there is no treatment success, it is disappointing or frustrating to both the patient and the physician. With anti-aging medicine a different approach is suggested with the principal “treat the cause, not the disease”. It is noteworthy that with this approach the doctor can incorporate all of the aspects that play a role with regard to the causes.

Dr. Magaziner: “Treat the cause, not the disease”

Dr. Allan Magaziner gave a lecture regarding this topic at the 20th Annual World Congress On Anti-Aging And Regenerative Medicine in Las Vegas (Dec. 12 to 15, 2012). His talk was entitled “Treat the Causes, Not the Disease…With a Patient-Centered, Integrative Approach”. He explained that there are 12 different categories that need to be taken into account when it comes to delineating causes of an illness in a patient, which he called the “diagnostic dozen”.
1.      Is there oxidative stress?
2.      Is there nutrient imbalance?
3.      Is digestive absorption optimal?
4.      Are there food intolerances?
5.      Is there mitochondrial dysfunction?
6.      Are the hormones and neurotransmitters functioning properly?

More points to consider

7.      Is the patient under excessive stress?
8.      Are there specific electromagnetic field disturbances in the body and would biofeedback be helpful?
9.      Is the body’s toxic burden so high that it requires detoxification treatment?
10.    Has there been environmental exposure to heavy metals?
11.    Are genetic factors making the patient more vulnerable to disease?
12.    Is the immune system weakened and are there signs of inflammation or chronic infection?

Treat The Cause, Not The Disease

Treat The Cause, Not The Disease 

BPA from plastic bottles can cause cancer

A point often overlooked is that life in the 21st century has become more complex. That is to say, we are exposed to various degrees of pollution, such as lead and mercury, but also to BPA from plastic bottles. 93% of Americans, Dr. Magaziner said show measurable levels of BPA in urine. Surprisingly, research showed that many years of exposure to BPA causes breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men!
Specifically, Dr. Magaziner gave an example of a 3-year-old boy with autism with a full discussion of all the diagnostic factors. Notably, conventional medicine treats autism by giving the children special educational programs and speech therapy on the one hand. On the other hand, the physician refers the patient to a physiotherapist to treat their gait problems. That is to say, typically an autistic child does not respond to this approach.

Autistic children often have heavy metal toxicity

In this case, when Dr. Magaziner saw this autistic child, he ordered blood tests that showed heavy metal toxicity. In particular, he ordered several chelation treatments to remove the heavy meals. The child had a leaky gut syndrome, had chronic yeast infection and a gut dysbiosis. It is important to realize that the doctor addressed all of these problems separately. Surprisingly, within a few weeks there was improvement of the child’s condition. First, his balance problems disappeared. Secondly, in addition, there was improvement of his attention span, concentration and memory. Thirdly, the child also started taking an interest in what was happening around him.

A girl with Crohn’s disease

Dr. Magaziner discussed another case, namely a 13-year-old girl that presented with Crohn’s disease. The girl had blood in her stools and had terrible bowel cramps. Conventional medicine including steroid therapy had failed to show improvements. Going through the diagnostic dozen revealed several important positive findings that were unknown before. As a result, attention to these factors led to a complete cure. Important findings in this girl were food sensitivities that could be pinpointed with a battery of blood tests involving IG-G, IG-A and IG-E antibodies to various food groups.

ONDAMED and Lyme disease

The physician used ONDAMED, an electro-diagnostic tool to normalize abnormal electromagnetic fields in the gastrointestinal region.
Perhaps the most impressive case was a patient with Lyme disease. Traditional medicine has very little to offer to such a patient and often the patient will go on to develop a fibromyalgia like arthritic condition leading to chronic disability. The patient responded to a combination treatment consisting of such various things as Curcumin, vitamin D3, cinnamon, CoQ10, D-Ribose, L-Carnitine, magnesium and zinc to help various enzymatic reactions regarding the anti-inflammatory effect. In addition, the patient received  intravenous vitamin C to strengthen the Detox system. All of this helped to detoxify the patient and support the adrenal gland function.

Additional cases of Lyme disease

In addition, Dr. Magaziner gave 10 treatments of ONDAMED involving various frequency settings to assist the body in its recovery. The patient had a complete recovery from severe Lyme disease!
Dr. Magaziner was also one of the speakers in a company sponsored evening about the use of ONDAMED in the treatment of Lyme disease. He presented a total of 7 cases of Lyme disease where ONDAMED was successful in treating this difficult to cure condition! The common denominator in these cases was that various low-grade infections lingered on and other environmental factors weakened the immune system further. ONDAMED helped to strengthen the immune system together with detoxification treatments.

“Treat the cause, not the disease” is true even when multiple causes are present

There is nothing magic about the new approach of treating patients.  Proactive medicine treats the cause of the patient’s illness while conventional medicine focuses on symptomatic treatment of a disease. Often there are several causes that can hide behind a diagnosis and exist parallel in a patient. With treatment of all these causes the patient recovers and regains full health.

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Oct
01
2006

Good Nutrition Is Gender Specific

By | Cancer, Health, Heart Disease, Nutrition, Prevention, Stroke

It is well known that various health concerns are related to the gender of a person, but there are findings that suggest that even nutrition has to be tailored to the needs of males or females.
Calcium is known to be beneficial to bone health, and while high calcium diet may protect a woman from osteoporosis, it does not have the same evidence for men. As a matter of fact, high calcium intake in males may increase their risk of prostate cancer. For the male it means that calcium should be used in moderation and vitamin D intake could help to offset some risks.
Fat choices, mostly sources of monounsaturated fats in the form of olive oil are important for both, men and women, and for both the omega-3 fatty acids that are found in fish are excellent. Men, especially those with a risk of prostate cancer, should be cautious about loading up on flaxseed and canola oil. Alpha-linolenic acid in these two oils may be a problem for the prostate.
Iron is also emphasized in healthy nutrition, but men need less than women. In the presence of an abnormal gene, excessive iron can accumulate to harmful deposits in various organs.
Social habits, for example the drinking of alcohol seem to have more grave implication to women than to men. The glass of wine that may help reduce the risk of heart attacks and certain strokes may seem harmless enough, and average men don’t seem to develop health problems, as long as the alcohol intake is low. Larger amounts will increase the risk of many ills for males and females alike, but even low doses of alcohol may increase a woman’s risk of breast cancer.
“Super Foods” have made headlines, and all of them are known because of their high content in antioxidants. A recent study from the University of Oslo, Norway, under Dr. Bente Halverson examined, which of them are ranking highest. At the top are, in the order of strength: blackberries, grape juice from Concord grapes, artichoke hearts, walnuts and strawberries. The researchers came up with a list of high oxidant foods on the basis of typical serving sizes.

Good Nutrition Is Gender Specific

Everybody needs to find healthy food

These are the winners among the super foods and spices: blackberries, walnuts, strawberries, artichokes, cranberries, brewed coffee, raspberries, pecans, blueberries, ground cloves, grape juice and unsweetened baking chocolate. Males as well as females of all age groups will benefit from those.
Dr H. Simon, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School points out that there are fundamental facts in nutrition that apply to everyone. But there is also a fine print, which varies according to gender, age and medical conditions.

More information about nutrition: http://nethealthbook.com/health-nutrition-and-fitness/nutrition/

Reference: The Medical Post, September 19, 2006, page 25

Last edited November 1, 2014

Aug
01
2005

Comfort Foods Make PMS More Uncomfortable

By | Mental Health, Nutrition, Prevention, Women’s Diseases

Premenstrual depression, moodiness, insomnia, abdominal cramps and headaches are some of the symptoms that create havoc for up to 40 % of menstruating women. Premenstrual Syndrome (or PMS for short) does not just mean a” cranky” few days for the women who suffer from it, but a host of unpleasant effects. Many experience bloating and breast tenderness, and they find that their daily functioning at work and in personal relationships is impaired. Food cravings are part of the picture, and often the so-called “comfort foods” are high on the list like ice cream, chocolate, cookies, or cake. Unfortunately these are not helpful at all, whereas other foods can be beneficial. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has published recommendations already in 2000 in which a diet of complex carbohydrates was recommended and supplementation of calcium, magnesium and vitamin E. Small meals that are rich in complex carbohydrates and that also contain protein and fat are useful to keep blood sugar levels stable. Even though some women crave sugar, candy, baked goods and pop, the rapid fluctuations in blood sugar only contribute to moodiness and irritability. Caffeine can also contribute to irritability, but by the same token, quitting coffee or tea abruptly will make many feel worse. A gradual decrease would be the gentler approach.
Alcohol intake is an especially bad idea, as it is a depressant and does nothing to lift the mood. People who have bloating or edema should avoid sodium.
Trials have shown what works to control PMS. More than 400 women were enrolled in a study group and were given 1,200 mg of chewable calcium carbonate daily. Those taking the supplement benefited from a 48% decrease of symptom severity. Within the Nurses’ Health Study II researchers followed up on a group of 1,057 women who got PMS and another group of 1,968 women who did not during 1991 and 2005. Women who consumed 400 IU of vitamin D a day had a lower relative risk of developing PMS. Consumption of calcium and vitamin D were measured by a food questionnaire. Calcium consumption of about four daily servings of fortified orange juice, skim-or low-fat milk or low-fat yogurt was inversely related to PMS.

Comfort Foods Make PMS More Uncomfortable

Comfort Foods Make PMS More Uncomfortable

The lead author of the study was Dr. Elizabeth Bertone-Johnson PhD, from the department of public health at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Her colleagues agree that vitamin D and calcium is beneficial to women of all ages, since these nutrients also reduce the risk of osteoporosis. Trials of vitamin B6 in doses of up to 100 mg daily seemed to help, as reported already in 2003 in a review by American Family Physician.

For the patient it means that small, regular meals are a good idea. So are complex carbohydrates, low-glycemic fruit like apples or berries and lots of vegetables. Consume low-fat milk or low-fat yogurt. Give the calcium supplements and the vitamin B6 a try. Minimize red meat, saturated and trans fats. Avoid salt, refined carbs, sugar, salt and alcohol. All of these aspects can make a significant contribution to a reduction of PMS symptoms as well as to health and wellness.

More info on premenstrual syndrome: http://nethealthbook.com/womens-health-gynecology-and-obstetrics/pms/

Reference: The Medical Post, June 28.2005, page 23

Last edited October 29, 2014

Nov
01
2003

Osteoporosis In Males Is Common

By | Fitness, Health, Hormones, Prevention, Vitamins and supplements

A new study from the University of Toronto/Ontario has shown that contrary to the conventional teaching ostoporosis is not only a problem in females, but also a problem in males. The Canadian Multicentre Osteoporosis Study (CaMos) showed according to the epidemiologist Natalia Diaz-Granados that in Canada 16% of all women above the age of 50 and 5% of men above the age of 50 developed osteoporosis.

In the past men were thought to be more or less immune to osteoporosis, but this is not so. The results of this study were presented recently at the annual meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research in Minneapolis. 1,768 of the 2,884 men who were recruited into CaMos were eligible for the study, because they had not taken oral corticosteroids for three months, and bone scans were taken to measure bone density of their upper femurs (upper thigh bones). 89 men (or 5% of the group of 1768) showed osteoporosis. The mean age of this group was 65 years ranging from 50 to 96.

The researchers studied the high risk factors in men with osteoporosis and found that they were remarkably similar to the risk factors in women with osteoporosis. I have summarized the findings here in tabular form.
The study also showed that for men hip fractures seem to be more lethal than for women as within a year after a hip fracture from osteoporosis more men die. If a physician sees a patient and notices 2 or more of the risk factors identified in the table above, a bone scan to screen for osteoporosis should be done.

Osteoporosis In Males Is Common

Osteoporosis In Males Is Common

There are many more unanswered questions with regard to life styles and nutritional information. It is not known from this study whether the men were physically less active and whether there was a higher alcohol abuse and /or nutritional dysbalance with associated vitamin deficiencies. The authors stated that future research will focus on these factors and on whether biphosphonates (alendronate or Fosamax) are as useful in men with osteoporosis as they are in women.

Risk factors for osteoporosis in men
Risk factor: Explanation:
weight less than normal this may point to poor nutrition, lack of calcium, vit. D etc.
older men bone loss occurs slowly with age, both in men and women
history of smoking smoking reduces blood supply to the nutritional vessels in the bone. This leads to less bone forming cells (osteoblasts)
family history of osteoporosis one or more genes code for osteoporosis. More research needed in this field to develop new medications
history of fracture beyond the age of 50 osteoporosis leads to brittle bones with more fractures. A fracture in this age group should make the physician suspicious of osteoporosis or a metabolic bone problem

Based on an article in The Medical Post, page 78, Oct. 14, 2003.

Link to a chapter of osteoporosis in my Net Health Book.

Last edited December 9, 2012

Sep
09
2023

How the Immune System affects Parkinson’s Disease

By | autoimmune disease, diet, Fitness, immune system, Inflammation, Parkinson’s disease

This article explains how the immune system affects Parkinson’s disease (PD). Notably, in the past physicians thought that Parkinson’s disease was due to a degenerative change of the substantia nigra. This explained why balancing was a problem, why shaking of the hands occurred and why falls happened often. It it important to realize that nobody thought about the immune system.  And no-one knew that an autoimmune process could be behind Parkinson’s disease.

T cells that react to a damaged protein called alpha-synuclein

There are specific changes in the immune system approximately 10 years before Parkinson’s disease symptoms occur in patients who come down with the disease. Researchers from the La Jolla Institute for Immunology showed that T cells play a key role in causing PD. They react to a damaged protein called alpha-synuclein build up in the dopamine-producing brain cells. Laboratory physicians can assay this through a simple blood test, which becomes a screening tool for early Parkinson’s disease. The reactive T cells stay around for about 10 years, then fade away. There seem to be other immune factors that weaken the initial aggressive phase of the T cells.

The role of inflammation in Parkinson’s

When the immune system malfunctions chronic inflammation can develop. In farmers exposed to pesticides the later development of Parkinson’s disease was observed. The researchers thought that the pesticides caused an irritation of the immune system leading to chronic inflammation. There is evidence that the gut bacteria are different in Parkinson’s disease patients when compared to normal controls. The gut absorbs the metabolites of the abnormal gut bacteria and causes chronic inflammation. In an attempt to stop the inflammatory process, the immune system can develop autoimmune antibodies, which can cross react with cells of the substantia nigra. This in turn can cause Parkinson’s disease.

Lifestyle factors that people can change to prevent PD

Dr. Rebecca Gilbert, vice-president and chief scientific officer for the American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) commented on the importance of lifestyle changes. She said: “It makes intuitive sense that instituting lifestyle modifications that potentially decrease inflammation may decrease the risk of Parkinson’s disease. Exercise, for example, has been shown to reduce inflammation and is probably one of the many reasons that exercise reduces the risk of Parkinson’s disease and also improves established Parkinson’s disease.” She commented further: “Also, we should avoid things like excessive alcohol and nicotine that we know have negative effects on the immune system,” she added. “And managing our stress as best as possible can slow and help maximize outcomes of many diseases.”

Changing diet can help postpone Parkinson’s disease

With regard to the best diet that will help Parkinson’s disease patients she said: “The MIND diet emphasizes whole grains, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and berries. Fish is the preferred protein and olive oil is the preferred fat. Recently a study showed that adherence to the MIND diet and the Mediterranean diet had an association with later onset of Parkinson’s disease.”

The gut connection to Parkinson’s disease

According to the WHO the global prevalence of Parkinson’s disease has doubled in the last 25 years. At this point we do not know why this is so. But many investigations have shown that there is a significant difference in the gut bacteria composition of healthy controls and Parkinson’s disease patients. There is a 30% difference between the bacterial composition of healthy controls and patients with Parkinson’s disease. This has led to Braak’s Hypothesis of Parkinson’s Disease. This hypothesis says that an unknown pathogen enters through the nose, the person swallows it and it ends up in the gut. Absorption gets it into the gut wall and it migrates through the vagus nerve into the central nervous system where it leads to accumulation off alpha-synuclein in the substantia nigra. This destroys the dopamine producing cells in that region causing the symptoms of PD.

Can any diet fight gut dysbiosis?

  • In 2022 study they found that flavonoids, the pigments of fruit were associated with a lower mortality of patients with Parkinson’s disease.
  • In an earlier study of 2018 researchers determined that a protein from fish with the name parvalbumin helped Parkinson’s patients to stop producing alpha-synuclein. PD patients suffer from clumping of alpha-synuclein, which causes their symptoms.
  • Restriction of refined carbohydrates “especially diets with a low glycemic index, rich of vitamins and polyphenols, a Mediterranean diet for example, can be recommended”.

Regular exercise to prevent Parkinson’s disease

Regular physical exercise maintains body function and muscle strength. Dr. Emer MacSweeney said: “Being physically active is one of the best things you can do for your body. Exercise helps protect against many diseases and keeps the heart, muscles, bones, and brain in optimum condition. Exercise promotes the oxygenation of the brain and stimulation of multiple neurochemicals.”

Several studies showed that patients with PD deteriorate slower, if they exercise regularly. Part of that response is due to the release of endorphins and serotonin, but we do not know all of the positive mechanisms of exercise at this time.

How the Immune System affects Parkinson’s Disease

How the Immune System affects Parkinson’s Disease

Conclusion

Recent research changed what we know about Parkinson’s disease (PD). Braak’s Hypothesis of Parkinson’s Disease states that an unknown pathogen enters through the nose, gets swallowed and ends up in the gut. From there it gets taken up into the gut wall and migrates through the vagus nerve into the central nervous system. There it leads to accumulation of alpha-synuclein in the substantia nigra. This destroys the dopamine producing cells in that region causing the symptoms of PD. But we also know that chronic inflammation can aggravate the symptoms of PD patients. When the composition of the gut bacteria deteriorates, this too will make PD patients worse.

Lifestyle changes help to postpone Parkinson’s disease

A healthy diet, like the MIND diet, DASH diet or the Mediterranean diet have beneficial effects on PD patients. Many studies also found that regular physical exercise is a stabilizing factor in PD patients. There are still many gaps in what we know about the causation of PD. But the above summarized factors are a good start.

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Jul
30
2023

Learn about Longevity from the Blue Zones

By | diet, Fitness, Health, lifestyle, Mortality, Nutrition, Processed food, red meat, sleep

People who live in blue zones often turn 100 or older, so we can learn about longevity from the blue zones. The 5 most often cited blue zones are in Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Icaria, Greece; and Loma Linda, California, United States. But there are many more blue zones throughout the world. These zones contain the most centenarians, people who have reached the age of 100. It is thought that it is the people’s lifestyle that makes them live much longer than the rest of the world.

Lifestyle of centenarians

People are active, are bicycling, walking, swimming, constantly on the go and they are careful about what they eat. They stay slim, but are muscular. Their diet consists mostly of vegetables and salads, with very little meat. They may consume a small piece of beef on Sundays, but not during the rest of the week. Fish may be a part of their diet two or three times per week.

Diet characteristic of blue zones

Sandee LaMotte  published an article on March 4, 2023 at CNN, which describes the diet consumed in blue zones. People in blue zones are active, handle stress well, are close to friends, have a purpose in life and are often members of a social or religious group. They eat mostly a plant-based diet and they stop eating before they are full.

The food consists of complex carbohydrates. No processed foods are eaten. The American Heart Association says: “Complex carbohydrates, such as beans, peas, vegetables and whole grains provide vitamins, minerals and fiber that can go missing in processed and refined foods. In addition, they are digested more slowly, and the fiber helps you feel full longer.”

Origin of blue zone foods

The blue zone food has its roots in the African, Asian, Latino and Native American diets. Dan Buettner originally published an article about the blue zones in the National Geographic Magazine. Recently he published a collection of 100 blue zone recipes in book form.

The Mediterranean diet is very close to blue zone eating.

What blue zone meals contain

Buettner said: “The five pillars of every longevity diet, including the blue zone, are whole grains, vegetables in season, tubers, nuts and beans. In fact, I argue the cornerstone of a longevity diet is beans.” People in blue zones eat similar foods as those who eat a Mediterranean diet, but they do not eat as much fish as people on a Mediterranean diet. People on a blue zone diet don’t eat any milk products. On the other hand, goat and sheep’s milk cheeses such as feta and pecorino are part of the blue zone diet. In the blue zones the consumption of purple sweet potatoes, sesame seeds, fresh vegetables and fruit are the major staples.

More info about Blue Zone diet

All of the meals contain complex carbohydrates, micronutrients and a whole variety of fiber.

Perhaps the important difference to the Standard American diet is that in the blue zone there is a lack of beef, hamburgers, processed foods and highly processed carbohydrates like bread, pasta, sugar-sweetened beverages, salty snacks like potato chips, candies, cookies and processed meats (bacon, sausages or cold-cuts). People in blue zones eat very little bread and if they do, they eat sourdough bread, which does not raise the blood sugar level as the highly refined white bread.

Recapturing healthy foods

So, what foods are blue zone people really eating? Tofu, quinoa, mushrooms, lentils, beans, turnip greens, artichokes, asparagus, chickpeas and spinach are the main staples of their nutrition. They stay away from sugar, rarely eat meat (once or twice per week) and otherwise have a healthy lifestyle. Scientists think that longevity comes from the healthy lifestyle and diet, which centenarians practice. Several longevity genes get activated as explained in this publication. This translates into living long lives with very few illnesses and experiencing energy until the end of their lives.

Learn about Longevity from the Blue Zones

Learn about Longevity from the Blue Zones

Conclusion

We can learn a lot from observing what centenarians eat and do. Scientist have investigated the lifestyle of people living in blue zones in various parts of the world. These zones contain the most centenarians, people who have reached the age of 100. People in blue zones eat mostly vegetables and very little red meat. They avoid sugar and processed foods. But they are also very active, have a rich social life and allow themselves enough sleep. Scientists accumulated evidence that genetic longevity switches are activated by the life style of people living in blue zones.  It is the activation of these epigenetic switches that are responsible for the longevity of people in blue zones.

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Feb
25
2023

Fruit and Vegetables for Children

By | diet, food

We know for some time that fruit and vegetables for children are important. Now a new study from the CDC showed that not enough children eat fruit and vegetables. Researchers interviewed the parents of nearly 18,000 children ages 1 to 5 in 2021. They asked the parents what their children consumed the previous week. They paid particular attention to fruit, vegetables and sugar sweetened beverages. The results were published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report on February 17, 2023. The results were surprising and also were published by CNN.

  • Almost 50% of the children did not eat a vegetable every day and about 33% of them did not eat a fruit every day.
  • 57% of the children drank at least one sugar sweetened drink per week.
  • A 1-year-old child was much more likely to eat a fruit or vegetable a day and less likely to consume a sugary drink compared to the older children up to the age of 5.

Dr. Heather Hamner, a senior author of the study and a senior health scientist at the CDC stated that there were some interesting findings in different states. She said: “This is the first time we’ve had state-level estimates on these behaviors. It’s a really good time to think about the programs and policies that states have in place and areas where they can continue to work and improve to make the nutrition environment the best it can be for our young children.”

Comparison of children’s food intake state by state

Here are some of the highlights when food behaviors were compared state to state.

  • More than 50% of twenty states including Washington, DC drank a sugar sweetened drink in the preceding week.
  • 80% of the children in Mississippi had one sugar sweetened drink in the preceding week, the highest of all states.
  • In contrast, only 38.6% of children in Maine drank a sugar sweetened drink at the same time, the lowest of all states.
  • Over 50% of 20 states did not eat a vegetable every day in the preceding week.
  • In Louisiana nearly 60% of the children did not consume a daily vegetable and almost 50% did not eat a daily fruit.
  • On the bright side: Vermont reported the highest rate of daily consumption of fruit and vegetables among the age 1 to 5 children group.

Racial differences among children’s eating habits

The investigators analyzed food habits of black children versus Caucasian children. They found that children of black parents were less likely to eat a daily vegetable or fruit while white children were more likely to consume fruit and vegetables.

About 70% of black parents reported that their child was consuming at least one sugar-sweetened drink in the preceding week. The investigators termed the household with poor food habits “households with marginal or low food sufficiency “. In these households the children were less likely to consume a daily fruit or vegetable. At the same time, they were more likely to drink a sugar sweetened drink.

General needs of children

Children in the age group of 1 to 5 need daily fruit and vegetables for their normal development. The CDC has established some time ago that Children ages 2 or 3 should have at least a cup of fruit and a cup of vegetables every day while kids ages 4 to 8 should have 1.5 cups of each every day. The CDC report said: “Limiting or reducing foods and beverages higher in added sugars, including sugar-sweetened beverages, is important because added sugars are associated with increased risk of obesity, dental caries, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.”

Laying a foundation for future healthy eating habits

Dr. Hamner said: “We’ve found that it can take up to 10 times for a child to try a new food before they like it,” she said. “Continuing to try and expose young children to a wide variety of fruits and vegetables is an important piece.” Another point is that parents should not only stick to fresh vegetables and fruit, but also include frozen and canned versions for greater variety.

Adding these essential vitamins is laying a strong food foundation for your child and has a lasting impact. Dr. Hamner added: “One of the things that’s really important is early dietary behaviors. This is really when kids are laying the foundation for some of those dietary behaviors, so starting out strong and making sure that they’re creating these healthy behaviors … that’s going to set them up as they go into adolescence and adulthood.”

Preventing adult food habits

A large portion of snacks from the mid-section of the grocery store contains all forms of sugar. There is high fructose corn syrup, sugar, honey, agave syrup, maple syrup etc.  You may think that a harmless fruit juice would be healthy. But then you read the ingredient list on the label. It says that it contains 5 to 6 teaspoons of sugar per cup (250 ml) of juice.

Unfortunately, our body is not equipped to process all the sugar that the food industry wants us to consume, and we develop insulin resistance; the liver converts the excess sugars into fat and deposits it into our arteries and as fat deposits between our guts (visceral fat) and as subcutaneous fat in the thighs, around the hips and the waist. It is no secret that a lot of obesity is related to overconsumption of sugar containing convenience foods (snacks and sugar-laden drinks).

Artificial sweeteners

Often low-calorie alternatives contain aspartame or sucralose (Splenda). Aspartame is an excitotoxin damaging your brain cells and sucralose was developed in the 1950’s. It was a side product in the development as an insecticide. We do not want to replace disease-promoting sugar with toxins as sweeteners. Safe alternatives for sugar are xylitol, mannitol, and stevia.

Starchy foods

What is sometimes overlooked is the fact that your body digests bread, starchy foods such as potatoes, and pasta, rice and flour products like pizza or cookies within 30 minutes into sugar that is as harmful to your pancreas as plain sugar or high fructose corn syrup. The body reacts with the same overproduction of insulin converting the excess sugar into fat and depositing it in your body as described above. Much of the obesity wave we see in the past 3 decades is due to baked goods like bagels, bread, pasta and pizza. It is much better to enjoy your stevia-sweetened coffee without any bakery pieces.

When you replace some of the excess starchy foods with vegetables and fruit, you rebalance your diet and reduce the extra sugar load. When a child starts this process early in the age group of 1 to 5, healthy eating habits get imprinted, which prepares the individual for adolescence and adulthood.

Fruit and Vegetables for Children

Fruit and Vegetables for Children

Conclusion

Healthy eating is what you learn in childhood. A thorough analysis of children in the age group of 1 to 5 by the CDC showed the following. In the US children of this age consume too much sugar-containing beverages. At the same time, they avoid vegetables and fruit. They also found that 80% of the children in Mississippi had one sugar sweetened drink in the preceding week. This was the highest of all states. In contrast, only 38.6% of children in Maine drank a sugar-sweetened drink at the same time. This was the lowest of all states. In addition, they found that children of black parents were less likely to eat a daily vegetable or fruit. But white children were more likely to eat daily vegetables or fruit. About 70% of black parents reported that their child was consuming at least one sugar-sweetened drink in the preceding week.

Households with marginal or low food sufficiency

The investigators termed the households with poor food habits “households with marginal or low food sufficiency “. In these households the children were less likely to consume a daily fruit or vegetable. At the same time, they were more likely to drink a sugar sweetened drink.

The researchers concluded that early childhood behaviors were influencing the lives of adolescents and adults. Unfortunately, this influence is often negative leading to obesity and cardiovascular disease. But the opposite can also be true. Parents can use their influence on their children by increasing vegetable and fruit intake and reduce sugar-containing drinks. This helps the children to adopt healthy food habits well into adolescence and adulthood.

Dec
31
2022

Certain Probiotics Are not as Harmless as Thought

By | diet, Mortality, Nutrition

Recently a medical publication stated that certain probiotics are not as harmless as thought. Researchers presented their findings at the American College of Chest Physicians 2022 Annual Meeting. 23,533 ICU admissions to a number of hospitals in Colorado over a 5-year period were the data base for this study. There was a clear relationship between taking probiotic powder and the fact that some of these gut bacteria make their way into the blood stream. This condition has the name of bacteremia. Although bacteremia is uncommon (only 0.37%), the mortality rate for those who developed probiotic-related bacteremia was 25.6%. This is about twofold greater than the 13.5% mortality rate of controls who did not take probiotics. The risk ratio was 2.23-fold higher for ICU patients who ingested probiotics versus those who did not. What killed the patients who took probiotics were the gut bacteria that entered into their blood stream.

Discussion of “certain probiotics are not as harmless as thought”

Physicians often recommend probiotics as tools to improve the gut bacterial flora. Unfortunately, there is a lack of research in this area. There is no hard evidence that probiotics are beneficial for irritable bowel syndrome or ulcerative colitis. There is also no hard evidence that a previously deranged bowel flora would transition into a healthy bowel flora. On the other hand, we also know that fermented vegetable products like kimchi or sauerkraut also have beneficial bacteria in them that can support your bowel flora. One of the problems is the concentration of probiotic supplements. They come in 80 billion, 100 billion and higher bacteria counts per capsule. It is possible that some of these bacteria find their way through cracks in the lining of the bowel into the blood stream.

Patients outside the ICU setting

ICU patients are vulnerable and often have immune deficiencies. It may be that in regular patients outside the ICU probiotics may not be that problematical. But nobody knows for sure as there are no studies available that support this. The practice of recommending probiotics over sauerkraut and kimchi is simply based on hearsay.

Risk assessment necessary

Once probiotic bacteria are in the blood, they can freely travel through the circulatory system into the rest of the body. This is how septicemia develops. This is a dangerous condition, which does not always respond to antibiotics. It is because of this why there is such a high mortality rate as I mentioned above.

As mentioned, there is a lack of good evidence for the beneficial effects of probiotics. However, there is a risk of bacteremia in ICU patients. This warrants a risk assessment whether or not we should supplement our food intake with probiotic supplements or not. Fermented vegetable products like kimchi or sauerkraut are not as highly concentrated as probiotic capsules. Nevertheless, they are useful supplements that you can mix into salads or use as a side dish to your main meal. Until the time that more evidence is available about probiotics it is best to not take probiotics. Replace it with kimchi and sauerkraut.

Fermented foods versus probiotics

Fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi can help the gut balance its bacteria. But there are other fermented foods that can help your gut: yoghurt and kefir, which is a fermented probiotic milk drink. Other fermented foods are tempeh, miso, kombucha and pickles. The good bacteria outnumber the bad bacteria when you consume fermented foods regularly. Kimchi does not only provide healthy gut digestion, but it also prevents the formation of toxins from unhealthy gut bacteria. These toxins can damage the kidneys. So, kimchi prevents kidney damage.

Sauerkraut and kimchi are fermented foods that have been consumed for hundreds of years. They provide nutrients, vitamins and minerals along with plenty of fiber and probiotic bacteria to support the gut. I consider kimchi and sauerkraut the better probiotic than probiotic pills, which likely are too concentrated.

Certain Probiotics Are not as Harmless as Thought

Certain Probiotics Are not as Harmless as Thought

Conclusion

Recently a publication reported about 23,533 ICU admissions to various hospitals in Colorado over a 5-year period. These patients took daily probiotics. There was a clear relationship between taking probiotic powder and the fact that some of these gut bacteria made their way into the blood stream. Unfortunately, there was a mortality risk of 25.6% for probiotic-related bacteremia. Controls not taking probiotics had a much lower mortality rate of 13.5%. The investigators concluded that a literature search failed to support beneficial effects of the probiotic powder. The evidence was rather weak and did not justify the risk of probiotic-bacteremia. In contrast, natural probiotics in the form of fermented foods like kimchi and sauerkraut have been around for centuries and are known to be safe. I see no reason why we should take a risk with probiotic pills when there are many alternative fermented foods.

Oct
08
2022

Plant-Based Meat Alternatives are Healthier

By | Cancer, Cardiovascular disease, diet, food, Health, Nutrition, Obesity, Weight loss

A recent study showed that plant-based meat alternatives are healthier than the original meat dishes. This spread into various health websites on the Internet. One example is this one.

Some statistics about plant-based meat alternatives

Plant-based meat alternatives came to the market in the 1960’s. At that time, they consisted mainly of soy. Later textured vegetable protein joined soy products. Today they consist of pea protein, soy, potato, oils, various binders and flavorings to mimic the texture and flavor of meat.

The global plant-based meat market was about 5 billion USD last year. It is projected to increase by 19% from 2022 to 2030. The plant-based dairy alternatives market totaled 11 billion in 2020. The estimate is that this will grow to 32 billion in 2031.

How healthy are plant-based substitutes?

In the center of this discussion is the publication of Christopher J. Bryant from the Bath University in England. This publication reviewed 43 studies regarding plant-based substitutes regarding healthiness and environmental sustainability. In the following I am discussing the findings, particularly about health benefit of plant-based foods versus meat-based foods.

Problems with our current food consumption

There are several problems with human diseases that are transmitted from wildlife. HIV arouse from hunting of non-human primates. Rabies was transmitted in South America by vampire bats from cattle to humans. Early cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) came from contact with wild life. Finally, bats transmitted the SARS coronavirus-like virus from wild animals and live animal markets to humans. Subsequently human to human transmission caused the spread of Covid all around the world as a pandemic.

Use of antibiotics in feedlots

In order to control diseases in closely kept animal feedlots farmers feed the livestock antibiotics. This helps to contain infections, but it also poses a grave problem to humans as antibiotics become more and more resistant. Superbugs developed this way. 18% of meat imported from China was contaminated with Salmonella. 88% of those exposed to contaminated meat were resistant to at least one antibiotic. But 58% were resistant to multiple antibiotics.

A Harvard study from Boston showed in 2020 that red meat and processed red meat consumption caused 15% more heart attacks compared to those who substituted the protein source with plant-based foods. The same study also noted that the heart attack rates were about 15% less for subjects who substituted meat with plant products in comparison to meat eaters. 

Other results of the study

Several of the reviewed studies compared the nutritional profile of plant-based meat with the animal-based counterparts. Plant-based meat was significantly lower in saturated fat, and protein. However, they were significantly higher in fibre and salt. 40% of meat products were classified as ‘less healthy’. In comparison to that investigators assessed that only 14% of plant-based meat was ‘less healthy’. When saturated fat, sodium, sugar, and overall calorie content were tabulated, plant-based meat products compared favorably to meat. But salt content was often too high in plant-derived foods.

Plant-based burgers were much healthier than conventional beef-burgers, as they contained no cholesterol, less trans-fatty acids and less saturated fat. Vegetable-based food that contains pea protein is particularly valuable with regard to a high protein content.

Criticism of plant-based meat alternatives

At the present time many plant-based meat products have too much sugar and salt in it, but lack iron and vitamin B12. Various authors suggested that the food industry should add iron and vitamin B12 to their products and reduce the sugar and salt content.

Muscle synthesis

Mycoprotein is the active biochemical that builds up the protein of the muscle mass in man. Non-animal-derived dietary protein contains ample amounts of mycoprotein according to this publication. These authors investigated the ingestion of mycoprotein in a dose-response manner. They also measured insulin levels for 4 hours after ingestion of plant-derived mycoprotein. Insulin levels remain higher than normal for a sustained period.

Weight loss

A 2017 study showed that 40 grams of mycoprotein, which is the equivalent of 18 grams of protein was sufficient to lead to a robust muscle synthetic response. 60 g of mycoprotein (27 g protein) provided an optimal response regarding muscle synthesis. Gram for gram milk protein and mycoprotein were equivalent in amino acid bioavailability. Several studies examined weight loss following mycoprotein meals. One study found in overweight patients that chicken protein consumption was  higher in comparison to consumption of plant mycoprotein. The mycoprotein consuming group chose to eat 10% less calories than the chicken control group.

Greenhouse gas emissions and other factors

The publication cited above also included a lot of findings regarding how plant-derived food saves greenhouse gas emissions and other facts. For instance, the pork supply chain requires 3.3-times more fertilizer and 1.6-times more pesticides than the production of plant-derived food. What this means is that plant-derived foods are more environmentally sustainable than animal products.

Plant-Based Meat Alternatives are Healthier

Plant-Based Meat Alternatives are Healthier

Conclusion

Plant-derived foods have improved in the past few decades. Pea-derived plant products are now equivalent in terms of protein content to milk and meat. By eating more plant-derived food people consume less meat, which helps the environment, but also benefits the person who eats it. We know that with the consumption of a certain amount of plant-derived food less people develop cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. 40 grams of mycoprotein, which is the equivalent of 18 grams of protein was sufficient to lead to a robust muscle synthetic response.

Consumer beware

It is important to realize that not all is well with the list of “fake meat” and other highly processed plant-based products. Consumers must read the list of ingredients. If a product contains a laundry list of ingredients that not even an adult can pronounce and understand, it is very likely a highly processed food product that only pretends to be good for you. Should the sodium content be too high, steer away from it. High sugar content means that you put it back in the shelf. All in all, eating more plant-derived foods makes you healthier and improves the environment at the same time. But it is up to us to be discriminating colourful advertising from a nutritionally sound product.