NUTRITION NEWS
This section is to keep you up to date with any news that helps understand nutrition and the benefits of the nutrition diet that I am extolling. I will post news items myself and add any comment I might have. Feel free to send any comment or your own news item to me at enquiries@nutritiondietclub.com and all will be welcome.
Also on the following website www.nutritiondata.com a wide range of nutrition data is available. It ranges through food and food content, recipes, analysis of food and you can find the nutrient value of any food and learn more about vitamins and minerals. I hope you will find it useful.
For more information on products our Products page has links to a selection of suppliers of nutrition supplements, health products and books that should cover most requirements and price range.
OUR NEWS
MORE WONDER PILLS
Most weeks now we seem to get news of a new wonder pill to cure this or that illness, from heart disease to obesity. The claims for the medicine sound good but most medicines have side effects all be it in most cases minor. Some however are more serious for some people. Also in many cases the new pill is not necessary as good nutrition diet and exercise can often do the same job.
Recently a new drug was announced that would help solve obesity. The drug Acomplia (Rimonabant) acts by blocking receptors in the brain that are important in glucose and lipid (fats) metabolism. This then switches off hunger. Sounds good but up to 19% of people undergoing trials pulled out due to vomiting and nausea. Mind you that would certainly put you off eating. The drug is also thought to increase depression, anxiety and aggression in some patients.
Just to make the use of the drug more ridiculous, it is advised that this pill is used alongside diet and exercise. Are those prescribed the pill given help and advice on diet and exercise? If the diet and exercise advice is properly given and followed and monitored properly you shouldn't need a pill anyway.
The other ongoing story is statins and this time the drug Crestor. Prescribed by the million world wide to lower cholesterol and thereby prevent strokes. In the UK alone over 4 million prescriptions a year are given out. Now the statin Crestor is in the news because (according to recent research) it not only reduces cholesterol but also helps prevent heart attacks and strokes in those with normal cholesterol levels. So they want more people to be put on statins.
The basis of this theory is that as well as lowering cholesterol it also helps lower a protein that is found at higher levels in patients with heart problems. However just as cholesterol can be lowered naturally by diet so the protein mentioned can be lowered just as well by adequate intake of Vitamin E and also Vitamin C.
Do we really want to start prescribing drugs that have side effects to healthy people just in case they get ill at some time in the future. There is also the matter of cost if millions more people are prescribed drugs they may not need. Needless to say the manufacturers of the statin Crestor want to sell more pills and Crestor also happens to be more expensive than many so it is good business to expand into a new market of healthy people and sell more pills which are not necessarily the panacea they appear to be.
ANOTHER REASON FOR NUTRITON
We don't just need food to satisfy ourselves and our hunger. The cells of the body also need nutrition. The body develops from a single cell and every part of our body is a collection of cells continually dying, being replaced, being repaired and maintained. The nutrients we get in our food have to be sufficient for cells to carry out this work as they are essential to our being.
Each cell has a nucleus containing the body's DNA. Chromosomes are clusters of DNA molecules in a cell containing 1000's of genes. Each cell contains 46 chromosomes in 23 pairs. Genes carry the genetic code for the formation of the body and every gene is a tiny piece of DNA.
Chromosomes are therefore part of our genetic make up. Shortages of nutrients causes cell damage including breaks in the chromosomes, which leads to disease. Folic acid is one nutrient needed for DNA repair and other nutrients also work at a cellular level providing the nutrients needed. We therefore need to be aware of the importance of a nutrient rich diet. Not just to feed us on a general level but also to supply the nutrients that are necessary for the very basics of our being - the cells.
If the cells don't get the food needed they can't operate properly and disease is more likely. The lack of nutients goes unnoticed until it is too late and the damage is done. This is one of the reasons that we should all be following a nutrient rich diet now, as a preventative measure and to help ensure a long and healthy life.
FOODS FOR A LONG LIFE
You don't need to spend a fortune or chase after some overpriced berry to have a healthy nutritious diet. The Nutrition Diet is one way of following a healthy diet and making nutrient content the basis of your diet. Even the experts are getting on the nutrition food bandwagon. Tuesdays papers reported on Michelin starred chef Chris Horridge who is producing nutritionally balanced dishes in his top restaurant - gourmet health food as they put it. (At a price). This is good news and I am not the only one promoting nutrition as the basis of diet. But if you can't afford to eat at a michelin starred restaurant you can still do simple things that enhance the nutrient content of your diet.
When you have soup add a handful of chopped coriander or parsley for added nutrients. Do the same with pizza or pasta, sprinkling the herbs on the top. The herbal and medicinal benefits of garlic can be gained by adding finely chopped raw garlic to vegetables, especially tasty when sprinkled on broccoli or brussel sprouts.
More sprinkles - this time seeds - sunflower, pumkin, sesame, etc added to salads and breakfast cereals. Also add seeds and raisins to coleslaw.
Save your vitamins from cooking vegetables by using the water used to cook the vegetables. Make soup or gravy with it or even cook your pasta in the vegetable water.
Another way to add nutrients to a dish is to use spinach or even rocket as an extra to pasta dishes. While cooking your pasta, chop the spinach or rocket roughly and add to the boiling pasta. Some of the nutrients from the greenery will be absorbed and when you drain the pasta you have tasty pieces of greenery mixed with the pasta.
What else - add a squeeze of lemon juice to your glass of water, grate a little fresh ginger into your tea. Use your imagination and your own ideas to add nutrient quality to your food and make your own superfoods at little extra cost.
08/08/2008 - ANOTHER PILL. The newspapers carried news of yet another pill that will solve our weight problems. This time you go on a diet and get to your ideal weight, take the pills and go back to your normal diet and don't put the weight back on. The pill contains alpha lipoic acid (ALA). This is already used in various ways, as an anti oxident against free radical damage, in diabetes, and it is also believed that it can help memory and therefore help in Alzeimers etc. Alpha lipoic acid also helps with vitamin metabolism, especially B Vitamins and Vitamin C and E. It is therefore an important anti oxident. It is difficult to get enough ALA through diet where it is found mainly in spinach, meat (especially liver) and brewers yeast.
Whatever the benefits of this pill, even if it works, you will still have the problems that arise from eating too much and eating the wrong types of food - heart disease, diabetes, cancer, etc. Just because the pill fools the body in one way doesn't mean it will fool the body in other ways. There is only one way to achieve a balanced weight and be healthy and that is to eat a varied balanced nutritious diet, such as The Nutrition Diet and take more exercise. You will also feel better actually achieving this goal yourself instead of taking the easy way out.
28/07/2008 - FAT GENE. Todays news and papers all carry the story about the latest research into obesity, and news that a 'fat gene' is the cause of obesity. Apparently children especially cannot stop eating because they don't know when their hunger has been satiated. Is this yet another excuse for being fat. Where was the fat gene during the war and in the 50's, and 60's. The cause of obesity is too much of the wrong food and not enough exercise whatever is in your genes. In fact there may be some truth in the fact that the body doesn't recognise it is full of food. The body needs food, but the right food to supply the nutrients it needs to maintain, repair and build the body. If we fill up with junk food containing little nutrition at first the body will feel full but as digestion takes place it realises that the nutrients are missing and it still needs them. Then the body sends out more signals for food and unless you eat healthy nutrient rich foods at some point the cycle continues and yes you finish up fat. All the more reason to follow the nutrition diet on this site.
22/07/2008 - DIET VERSUS A PILL. Once again we read about Statins, the medication widely used to lower cholesterol. This time the Daily Express was highlighting the sometimes serious side effects that can occur from long term use of Statins.
This is not the only supposed cure that can finish up making you ill. I have written about Statins before and there are also problems with anti inflammatory painkillers, antibiotics, beta blockers, pills to lower blood pressure etc, - a pill for everything. In all cases of illness consult your doctor or health practicioner but unless you are diagnosed with a specific medical condition that causes a particular problem taking a pill is not the only answer. Many of the diseases today are in fact due to diet and lifestyle and taking a pill will not change anything. Diet and lifestyle changes can do all the things a pill is supposed to do - lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, balance blood sugar, improve aches and pains, etc.
The problem is we are set in our ways - diet and lifestyle is a habit and if we discover we have a problems such as high cholesterol we go to the doctor and get a pill. Never thinking of why the problems occurs. Some pills do work, statins lower cholesterol, but at a price. We don't think about why we have aches and pains or high blood pressure, etc and most of the time the doctors find it easier and quicker to write a prescription (and repeat prescriptions) than go through diet and lifestyle changes with you.
The causes of the degenerative diseases are generally too much of the wrong things and not enought of the right things. Too much salt, sugar, saturated fats, coffee, alcohol, dairy products, red meat, fizzy drinks, and fried foods. Then not enough fruit and vegetables, oily fish, beans, lentils, etc, not enough seeds and nuts or whole grains, not enough water and not enough exercise. The Nutrition Diet provides a simple way to change your diet and lifestyle to improve your health now and in the future. It is no good waiting until you have high blood pressure or cholesterol. You need to do something about it now before the problem arises.
08/07/2008 - HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE AND DEMENTIA. Newspapers have reported on a new article in the Lancet medical journel that links high blood pressure with increased risk of dementia. As high blood pressure also increases the risk of heart attack all the more reason to regularly check your blook pressure and do something about it if it is too high. Blood pressure can in any case be controlled by diet and lifestyle. The first thing to avoid is salt. Processed foods, meats etc all have salt and we add more on our food than necessary. Alcohol consumption should be kept moderate and avoid stimulants such as caffeine which can increase blood pressure by up to 20 points Also avoid saturated fats and sugar and of course if you smoke, stop. To help maintain a healthy blood pressure level diet is important and again the diet advocated here is all that is needed - fruit and vegetables, wholegrains, and oily fish all help. Also take more exercise, lose weight if overweight and try to find time to relax. If you are worried about your blood pressure consult a doctor to make sure that there is no other medical reason for the high blood pressure.
27/06/2008 - FRUIT AND OBESITY. Yes I have said fruit and obesity. Once again the press provide a misleading headline to get attention . This time the headlines asked can fruit make you fat. The next headline went that the sugar in fruit is contributing to the obesity epidemic. But aren't we told to eat more fruit and vegetables, I certainly advocate it and eating even 4 or 5 pieces of fruit a day won't make you fat. When you actually read the article about fruit making you fat it is not eating fruit at all. It is the use by the food industry of fructose in food processing and soft drinks as a sweetener where it is concentrated and devoid of nutrients. So don't stop eating your fruit - stop taking sweetened drinks and products.
20/06/2008 - IMMUNE SYSTEM
Doctors seem to have cured a bad case of skin cancer using the persons own immune cells. This is not really a surprise as the immune system is designed to fight illness and infection.It is the body's defence against disease. Harnessing the powers of the immune system is beneficial and better than a lot of unpleasant treatments that often don't seem to work in the long run. That is why a strong immune system is important and this can be helped by diet and nutrition. The Nutrition Diet with its emphasis on healthy eating with plenty of fruit and vegetables is a start.
Boosting the immune system is straightforward - exercise, diet and the mind all play a part. The mind, because stress weakens the immune system so try and make relaxation - yoga, tai chi, or similar part of your lifestyle. Vitamin C is an important immune booster. Other boosters include Vitamin A and E and the B vitamins. All available in a healthy nutritious diet.
16/06/2008 - VITAMIN D AND SUN
part of the reas
The latest scare from the scientists as publicised last week is the danger of the 'flip flop sandal craze. The popularity of the flip flop for the summer could lead to skin cancer because of the sun on the feet! What is that to do with diet and nutrition you ask. Well in a way everything is to do with diet and nutrition when the way we live our lives affects everything else including nutrition.
The sun supplies a vital vitamin, Vitamin D which is needed for bone and heart health. But we are told to cover up, or use a high factor sunscreen when in the sun so that we don't get skin cancer. Yet the incidence of skin cancer has continued to increase despite (or is it because of) the advice.
The sun is the main source of Vitamin D and the other source is foods including cod liver oil, kippers, mackeral, tinned salmon, sardines, tuna and eggs and how much of these do we eat these days. Not enough to get the needed levels of Vitamin D. So Vitamin D deficiency is a real possibility. It is vital for bone health and recent research has shown that low Vitamin D levels are a risk factor for heart attacks and in fact lack of Vitamin D could contribute to arterial calcification.
Vitamin D from the sun can be obtained without sunburn, like everything else moderation is the key and sunbathing sensibly in short periods can be beneficial. Exposing your whole body to the sun for just 18 minutes is enough Vitamin D for the day. Of course that is not always possible especially in northern climes and in winter but Vitamin D can be supplemented and is probably needed in the winter when the sun is at a premium. Arthritis sufferers feel worse in winter - also due to the lack of Vitamin D.
So even wearing flip flops or not can bring us round to the subject of nutrition.
02/06/2008 - HEALTHY DIET
The Mediterranean Diet has always been recommended for its health giving benefits and like The Nutrition Diet is based on lots of fruit and vegetables among other things. A new study by scientists in Spain have found that the mediterranean diet with plenty of olive oil (that's the key) protects from diabetes. 13000 graduates were monitored for 8 years and those that stuck closely to the mediterranean diet had 83 per cent lower risk of developing diabetes.
The diet includes a high quantity of fruit and vegetables, wholegrain pulses, nuts, legumes, cereals and fish and is low in meat and dairy products. It is already known to protect against cardiovascular disease and according to some researchers Alzheimers as well.
The key is lots of virgin olive oil. In addition to high levels of antioxidents, vitamins which soak up free radicals, olive oil also lowers cholesterol and blood pressure.
31/05/2008 - CHOLESTEROL AND STATINS
The press reported this week that the government is going to make statin drugs available for a further 1.5 million people to help prevent heart attacks caused by arterealsclerosis. Arteries blocked with cholesterol. It was annouced as if the government were doing 1.5 million people a favour when in reality cholesterol levels can usually be controlled by diet and lifestyle changes as advocated in this site. However no mention is ever made of education, easier to pop a statin and carry on eating the wrong diet and not taking enough exercise.
Statins themselves can be a problem. First of all they take up to a year to be effective in lowering cholesterol levels. Secondly they can have some quite serious side effects including headache, nausea and fever and in some instances serious problems with muscle aches and pains and liver damage. Memory loss and mental clarity can also be a side effect. Taking statins can also defeat the purpose they are prescribed for, as one result of taking statins is the reduction of co-enzyme Q10, which is an essential nutrient for the heart!
So what can you do to reduce cholesterol if reduction is needed. Diet and exercise are the answer:
Eat more fibre - beans, oats, fruit pectin, eat oily fish and use olive oil, eat more fruit and vegetables. Cut out sugar and sugar products as sugar reduces the HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol that you want). Try to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. Finally consider taking a good quality Omega 3 supplement as omega 3 increases HDL cholesterol (the good) and reduces LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol).
Once again we are being encouraged to take a pill to solve all the problems when a healthy diet as recommended in this site and more exercise will often be enough.
12/05/2008 - CANCER PREVENTION.
Once again the benefits of a healthy nutritious diet are confirmed. This time in a report from the World Cancer Research Fund. For cancer prevention advice they recommend eating more fruit and vegetables and grains and pulses and taking regular exercise on a daily basis. Advice also given in the nutrition diet. A growing waistline, poor diet, binge drinking and lack of exercise increases the risk of cancer as it does of other degenerative diseases such as heart problems, diabetes etc. Virtually every degenerative disease is a result of these things or made worse by them and the prevention and the possible cure is helped by nutrition and the nutrition diet is one way of achieving these goals.
06/05/2008 - ANTIOXIDENTS
New research by French scientists has found that antioxident rich apples and purple grapes, (especially in juice form) may help prevent artery hardening. The tests on animals showed diet induced atherosclerosis was reduced. This leads to the suggestion that long term consumption of antioxidents can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. This is not really new as the benefits of antioxidents are well known.
Fruit and vegetables are rich in antioxidents and this brings me back to the main point of the nutrition diet - eat more fruit and vegetables. As stated in the research purple grapes are good and in fact are quite high on the list of antioxident content as are prunes, raisins, berries and plums. Kale, spinach and broccoli are the best vegetables for antioxidents. These are not perhaps the most popular fruit and vegetables but consider adding them to your diet alongside the more common apple and banana.
18/04/2008 - SUPPLEMENTS CAN KILL!
You could not avoid all the headlines and media coverage this week about the latest study into the effects of supplements. Then after reading the article it turns out the author was really only talking about certain supplements, and high doses at that. Vitamin A was one of the supposed culprits.
As I said in my previous comments the studies are like statistics and can be made to mean different things to different people. in fact the study mentioned did not include all the studies into anti oxidents but ommitted over 400 studies that did not show any bad effect. However which ever side you are on these studies can be argued over for ever.
I come back to my main topic and that is a healthy nutritious diet, providing all our nutrition requirements, which we would all like to achieve. For many reasons we have talked about this is not easily achieved even if you have a reasonable diet. I therefore recommend a good multi vitamin and fish oil supplement as a norm. Anything else or taking specific nutrients for a particular reason should be done after consulting a qualified practioner or doctor. Getting back to Vitamin A (one of the culprits mentioned), the nutritionists etc know of the risks etc associated with this and other individual vitamins and any risks in taking high doses. The reference book I use also clearly states that supplementation of higher levels of Vitamin A should not be undertaken without consulting a doctor. So the scare stories created in the media are not the whole story. As they say - don't believe everything you read in the press.
16/04/2008 - EGGS - GOOD OR BAD.
Once again the humble egg has been the subject of a health warning. Reported in the press last week is a study that supposedly shows an increase in the risk of premature death in middle age men who eat 7 or more eggs a week. Eating that number of eggs increased the risk of dying from any cause by up to 23% compared with those who ate fewer eggs. It's enough to frighten you to death, eggs or no eggs.
First though let's look at the study. Scientists looked at the results of a 20 year study of over 21000 male doctors in America and came up with the findings on the danger of eating too many eggs. But there are several things that come to mind, especially since when pointing the finger at eggs as increasing the risk of death, they did so without knowing what the diet of the doctors was overall or how the eggs were cooked. I also wonder how they knew how many eggs were eaten if they didn't know what sort of diet the subjects had overall. And does death from any cause include car crashes and if so what has that to do with eggs.
Although eggs contain fairly high levels of cholesterol on the plus side they are also a good source of vitamins and minerals and high in protein. Egg protein contains all the essential amino acids required by the body and ready for use. Eggs are also relatively low in calories. As well as cholesterol eggs contain fat though about two thirds is unsaturated fat.
Studies seem to be like statistics - able to be interpreted according to whatever point you are making and if one study says one thing there will be another says the opposite. Like everything else, moderation is probably the key. Eating eggs as part of a healthy balanced diet is probably good but if you include eggs in a high fat diet then they will add to the problems created by the wrong diet. If you are going to eat eggs make sure you choose free range organic eggs. They taste better anyway.
08/04/2008 - WATER
I don't know if you saw the reports in the press last week about whether there is any benefit in the accepted advice that we should drink up to 6 to 8 glasses of water daily. Scientists studied all the studies into the benefits or not of drinking water and came to the conclusion that there was no measurable benefit for the average person to drink large quantities of water. They went on to say that the average person obtained plenty of liquid from tea, coffee and diet etc.
They did though in my opinion contradict themselves a little by saying that there was a need in certain instances to drink more water. Such as sportsmen, workers who sweat a lot, people with certain illnesses, people living in hot climates and elderly people who don't always realise they are thirsty, etc. So in fact there are benefits from drinking extra water. Whether it is measurable in the average person is another matter. There are arguments among some experts as to what is acceptable as water. Most say coffee and alcohol are not counted and some say that tea, especially herbal teas can be counted.
We are all different and have different requirements and in an ideal world a healthy diet such as The Nutrition Diet can provide plenty of water. The diet emphasises the importance of fruit and vegetables and these have a high water content. But if you don't eat much fruit and vegetables and live on junk or processed food that is one source of water gone. Coffee is a diuretic and so if you count that as water you need more to make up for the diuretic action. In some coffee drinking societies it is normal to take a glass of water with the coffee, perhaps there is a reason. Also liquids like coffee and fizzy drinks interfer with other nutrients and nutrient metabolism whereas a glass of water is 'clean'.
Once again listen to your own requirements. Watch your diet and carry on drinking water, but as with food don't be fanatical or worry about whether you have had 5 glasses or 7 glasses of water that day. You should in any case cut down on stimulants such as coffee and alcohol and drinking water regularly soon becomes natural and cuts down the need for other forms of water.
02/04/2008 - SUPPLEMENTS?
There is always talk about supplements and sometimes adverse articles decrying the effect of supplements and that money is wasted on them. This has been happening recently with studies being quoted as to the benefit or not of certain vitamin supplements. The reports, like all statistics, can be made to suit the author and if the studies are looked at closely there are actually benefits from supplements. If food was produced naturally and not tampered with and we improved our diets to a more nutrition based diet the need for supplements may not be seen to be necessary.
Ideally we should be able to get all our nutrients, vitamins and minerals from our diet. The Nutrition Diet Club's aim is to promote nutrition as the norm for a healthy diet. Whether we can actually achieve that with diet alone is sometimes open to question when modern industrial farming is considered. If we can grow our own vegetables and /or buy all organic meat, fruit and vegetables etc, this may be possible, but a lot of hard work. For most people though that is not easy, especially in our modern frantic lifestyle today.
Buying mass produced, industrially grown fruit and vegetables is not the same. They may look good - perfect in shape and colour but do they do you good. Take tomatoes for instance. Many are now grown hydroponically without soil. The roots are in water and fed nutrients to promote growth. The tomato however never sees the sun which is important in ripening the fruit and vegetables and to develop nutrients naturally. In the case of tomatoes the sun promotes lycopene development which is an important nutrient for our health.
Fruit and vegetables are also picked half ripe and that means nutrients have not had time to develop plus the produce is often stored for months and artificially ripened again affecting nutrient quality. So without realising it we can be missing or short of the vitamins and minerals we need for good health. Though we buy lots of fruit and vegetables it may not be enough.
This is just another reason to consider supplements. I recommend using a good multi vitamin tablet plus omega 3 and maybe vitamin C supplements as a matter of course. The more ways industrial farming finds to provide food further away from what nature intended the more we may have to look at supplements to maintain good health. I should also repeat that nutrition supplements are just that - supplement to as good a diet as you can manage. There are actually supplements for a whole range of health matters and in many cases they do help in the long term. Here though we are talking general diet and healthy living and if you have a specific problem and need for nutrition help then you should consult a qualified practioner.
If you want to know about any particular supplement or nutrient e-mail me at enquiries@thenutritiondietclub.com and I will be happy to supply the information. A variety of suppliers providing a wide range of supplements to suit all pockets can be found on the products page of this site. Also one of the books in my recommended reading provides an A-Z of vitamins and minerals.
15/03/2008 - CO Q10 and Hype
While writing recently about cholesterol I mentioned the enzyme CO Q10. The supplement has itself been in the news. This time it is being hyped by Boots the chemist, claiming that it helps your energy levels and boosts heart health and the immune systems. But the hype is misleading and could even give CO Q10 a bad name as well as giving the sceptics more fuel to find fault with nutrition and supplements.
CO Q10 does provide energy, but not so that you feel full of beans and more energetic suddenly. It acts with enzymes to increase the metabolic process and provide the energy for the body's cells to function properly. So while it is a very important energy sourceit won't literally make you feel 'full of energy'. It is also an important energy source for the heart cells and as an antioxident.
Bootss are also adding the gimmick of a money back guarantee if customers are not convinced of the benefits of taking COQ10 after a seven day trial. This is just pure marketing hype and Boots trying to pretend how infallible their product is. In truth, like most nutritional supplements COQ10 does not work so fast. It can take up to eight weeks or longer for results to be noticed. Also the way it works (as with other nutrients) you may not actually notice a specific benefit but the benefits are in your long term health and well being, not an instant fix.
While a good healthy diet with a wide variety of foods such as recommended in The Nutrition Diet, will provide most of our normal requirements, supplements can be an aid in especially in cases where there are known health problems or a deficiency in the diet. Since COQ10 is found mainly in kidney, liver and heart meat we probably need a supplement as these are not a common part of the dart as they used to be.
It is not so much the promotion of something beneficial I disagree with but the way it is promoted. It can lead to the product being misused due to the hype and then nutrition getting a bad name when it doesn't appear to work as hyped, i.e. 7 day money back guarantees. It also perhaps leads to nutrition items becoming fashion and after a while along comes another must have pill and the previous one is forgotten. It is the same with superfoods. The facts should be presented without the hype and misleading information.
09/03/2008 - LOWER CHOLESTEROL NATURALLY
It is well known that diet can help improve health. Diet is acknowledged to be important in heart disease, diabetes, obesity, digestive problems, cancer, etc. In some cases diet can actually be used to correct a problem instead of using medicines that could have adverse side effects. Lowering cholesterol is one of the benefits of the right diet.
A new study by University of Michigan researchers and published in the February Journal of the American Dietic Association confirms the benefit of diet to lower cholesterol levels. if you can lower cholesterol levels naturally it must be better then using a medication such as Statins, especially if you don't need them. Statins do work but have side effects which can in fact leave you open to increased risk of heart problems if taken long term. One of these is because statins also block CO Q10 which is needed for proper heart function. If you are prescribed statins because of serious cholesterol problems you should also enquire about taking a CO Q10 supplement as well.
There is confusion about cholesterol levels and the link to heart disease. First there are two types of cholesterol - HDL and LDL. High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) is the "good" cholesterol and Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) is the "bad" cholesterol. Cholesterol is associated with fat and we are told to cut fat, but we need certain fats. Some vitamins for instance are fat soluble. Certainly high levels of blood cholesterol are associated with diseases of the arteries but too low a level is associated with strokes. If too much LDL combines with cholesterol it is more likely to finish up lining the arteries. Conversely if the cholesterol is combined with HDL the cholesterol is removed from the arteries and completes its proper cycle back to the liver.
You can increase HDL and lower LDL by eating more oily fish and /or taking Omega 3 fish oil supplements. Stoping smoking and cutting out burnt food will also help reduce cholesterol levels as they both damage cholesterol and make it more difficult to clear from the arteries. Other dieting aids to lowering cholesterol include reducing saturated fats, eat more fruit and vegetables, and take more exercise. These measures also help in fighting heart disease in general and are in any case the basis of a healthy diet.
Once again we can see the benefits of The Nutrition Diet for general health maintenance and improvement and also as an aid to tackling specific problems which while not serious at the start could develop into serious illness and major health problems.
02/03/2008 - MEDICINE - A Pill For All
Most of the papers last week reported the results of the recent study of the Public Library of Science Medicine which showed that anti-depressants such as Prozac and Seroxat were no better than a placebo pill for treating mild depression.
More and more people are supposed to be suffering from depression. This suits the drug companies as they can sell more pills. A handy label also makes it easier for the medical profession. They can diagnose depression, write a prescription for Prozac and "next please".
New illnesses always seem to be coming along now, to the benefit of the drug companies.
People had headaches and now they all have migraines. People are fed up, sometimes worried and now they have depression. A cold is now flu. People are stiff in the joints from sitting around and now they have arthritis. Even children are ill. They are restless, out of control, can't concentrate on anything and now they have attention deficit disorder. We eat the wrong diet and are then diagnosed with high cholesterol levels, so now we have an illness!. Answer - take a pill, in this case statins, when the real answer is change your diet. And of course there is a pill for all occasions.
All these diseases or illnesses are genuine but not all the people claiming to be suffering from them have the real thing. They would know if they had. This trend to over diagnose a problem makes it harder for the genuine migraine or depression sufferer to be understood and treated. It trivialises what is for genuine sufferers a difficult life and can lead to poor treatment for the real sufferers of these illnesses. It also diverts funds away from the care for the real sufferers.
We all get fed up and stressed, feel run down at times, feel inadequate or lonely, but that is part of life. It doesn't mean we are all depressed and need anti depressants that could well have adverse side effects anyway. Also trying to find the answer in a pill does not make it any easier the next time you are down.
In many cases nutrition and lifestyle can tackle depression, just as it can help other illnesses such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, blood sugar levels, etc.
So how can nutrition help? The anti depressant medication prescribed is meant to boost the serotonin levels. These can also be boosted by diet. This starts with tryptophan, an amino acid found in cereal grains, legumes, meat, eggs and dairy products. Tryptophan though is the precursor for serotonin which influences mood and sleep. Tryptophan also has an anti depressant effect and many depressed patients are found to have low levels of tryptophan.
Like all reactions in the body these reactions don't stand alone. For tryptophan to work you need Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Folic Acid and Magnesium. So again this supports and emphasises the need for a varied nutrient rich diet.
Other means of helping depression include exercise, which works by releasing feel good chemicals. Relaxation/meditation also helps as does simply finding someone to talk to about your problems or worries.
Dietwise cut out the stimulants as caffeine actually puts stress on the adrenal glands and pressure on the immune system. In fact these things do the opposite to what you think. Caffeine (which is supposed to buck you up) adds to stress and alcohol (which is supposed to cheer you up) is actually a depressant.
Cut down or cut out sugar and sugary products and refined carbohydrates such as white bread, white rice and switch to whole foods and more fresh fruit and vegetables. This helps balance blood sugar levels, avoiding mood changes that occur if the blood sugar levels keep going up and down as they do with every biscuit or chocolate.
Make sure you get enough omega 3 fish oil as this help the seratonin levels in the brain. Omega 3 helps the brains electrical connections and is another aid for a food source of anti depressants.
Finally make sure you get enough sleep. Lack of sleep can trigger health problems and add to stress on the body's immune system. Also lack of sleep is shown to affect mental health. So rest, relaxation, sleep and a nutrition based diet may help avoid the need for a pill and the possible side effects that may bring. If you do suffer from depression a healthy nutrition based diet will help, but make sure you also get the proper care and not just a pill to send you on your way.
27/02/2008. Staying well all year round is a good idea and boosting the immune system is one way of doing this. We all know that we should be eating more fruit and vegetables. At the same time we should be avoiding or cut down on the coffee, alcohol, sugar and cigarettes. Cutting caffeine and colas will ease the stresses on the adrenal glands which in turn relieves pressure on the immune system. Tea as mentioned previously though still containing some caffeine is high in antioxidents which help fight disease.
Sleep is also a must as a lack of sleep will upset your system reducing the effectiveness of the immune system. Long term lack of sleep can trigger health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure and mental problems.
Stress puts a strain on the body's systems again lowering the immune response. Exercise and fresh air help relieve stress. Take some time for yourself, however busy you think you are. Try relaxation exercises and even take time for a course in yoga or tai chi. Fitness is an important part of good health, as important as watching your weight. It is probably better to be slightly overweight and fit than a couch potato who is thin. It is still better to be your ideal weight so don't use exercise as an excuse to over indulge.
Drink plenty of water as this helps flush out the system. Dehydration causes poor circulation and makes it more difficult for the body to eliminate toxins from the system. Try and drink 6 to 8 glasses of water a day.
Finally as stated at the beginning don't forget the fruit and vegetables.
25/2/2008. Tea.
If you didn't see it, reports in the sunday papers told of a study that seemed to show that drinking tea regularly helped in fighting Parkinsons. The reasons were unclear so more study was necessary. There could have been other reasons perhaps. But tea is certainly of benefit, especially green tea, as tea contains high levels of antioxidents which are important in fighting diseases including those caused by free radicals. These days we are exposed to free radicals through burnt food, fried and barbequed food, petrol fumes, smoking, radiation and certain body processes. Antioxidents are needed to clear these potentially dangerous cells which can cause disease and increase the aging process. Lack of antioxidents can be a contributary factor in various diseases including Alzheimers, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, mental illness and rheumatoid arthritis.
It is not the only cause, but diet and lifestyle play their part and if we have a healthy balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables (and tea) and take more exercise we can keep our antioxident levels up. Foods to help this include fruit berries, prunes and green leaves (spinach, kale) and broccoli and carrots. Try to avoid the dangers of free radicals mentioned.
While on the subject of diseases of ageing. A recent report also highlighted folic acid. Studies of patients with alzheimers showed that in some cases folic acid was lacking. Would folic acid have helped? Possibly, and certainly a healthy varied diet would hopefully ensure a full range of nutrients. The folic acid link may not be too surprising as it is prescribed for pregnant women to reduce the chances of birth defects. It also produces key chemicals for the brain and nervous system. Hence its links to diseases of ageing. Folic acid is just one of the nutrients that can be found in greed vegetables, whole grains and beans and these should be part of any diet.
