Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Food as Medicine - August 11, 2010



Damn, I got way behind on this - too many tabs accumulating, Firefox crashing - it's WAY past time for an update. So here you go, some recent research on nutrition for disease prevention.

ADHD may be associated to Western diet - I've been saying this for years . . . . Omega-3 fats, people, take your fish oil.
Dr Oddy remarked, “When we looked at specific foods, having an ADHD diagnosis was associated with a diet high in takeaway foods, processed meats, red meat, high fat dairy products and confectionary. We suggest that a Western dietary pattern may indicate the adolescent has a less optimal fatty acid profile, whereas a diet higher in omega-3 fatty acids is thought to hold benefits for mental health and optimal brain function. It also may be that the Western dietary pattern doesn’t provide enough essential micronutrients that are needed for brain function, particularly attention and concentration, or that a Western diet might contain more colors, flavors and additives that have been linked to an increase in ADHD symptoms. It may also be that impulsivity, which is a characteristic of ADHD, leads to poor dietary choices such as quick snacks when hungry.”
Is Beer Good for Your Bones? Seems beer contains silicon (between 7 and 30 milligrams per liter), which the body uses to build bone and and cartilage.
Silicon stimulates collagen production -- an important protein that makes bones strong and joint cartilage flexible. And research suggests that people with higher intakes of silicon tend to have better bone-mineral density. Most people get between 20 and 50 milligrams of silicon per day from their diets. And although beer has a more bioavailable form, it's also found in certain foods, like bananas.
Eat These "Top 3" Antioxidant-Rich Veggies - Yeah, the beets aren't happening with me.
A recent study of close to 30 different types of veggies put these three at the top of the list: broccoli, beets, and bell peppers (the red kind). Yep, the top-notch veggies all start with B. Makes it easier to remember, doesn't it?
The Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega 3s (GOED) says draft US Dietary Guidelines ignore the role EPA and DHA supplements and fortified foods can play in the prevention of heart disease and other chronic illnesses in healthy people.

Breast cancer link to cleaning products and air fresheners - Ah, better dying through chemistry. I would say this is probably true of many cancers.
Women who regularly used a combination of cleaning products were twice as likely to have breast cancer as other healthy women, US scientists found. The strongest link was between cancer and air fresheners and mould and mildew removers.
Biochemist Proposes Worldwide Policy Change to Step Up Daily Vitamin D Intake - I've been doing this for quite a while now.
Anthony Norman, a leading international expert in vitamin D, proposes worldwide policy changes regarding people's vitamin D daily intake amount in order to maximize the vitamin's contribution to reducing the frequency of many diseases, including childhood rickets, adult osteomalacia, cancer, autoimmune type-1 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, obesity and muscle weakness. --- Currently, the recommended daily intake of vitamin D in the United States is 200 international units (IU) for people up to 50 years old; 400 IU for people 51 to 70 years old; and 600 IU for people over 70 years old. Today there is a wide consensus among scientists that the relative daily intake of vitamin D should be increased to 2,000 to 4,000 IU for most adults.
Growth of cancer cells may be controlled by Vitamin C
Vitamin C obtained from orange, strawberries and kiwi is known to be beneficial for the overall health and may become more popular in the treatment of cancer. A groundbreaking research commenced by the University of Otago, Christchurch claims that vitamin C can aid in restricting the growth of cancer cells. An association between vitamin C and tumor growth has been apparently displayed.
Gut Flora Study Gives Insight Into Obesity - I've been seeing more and more on this of late. Food choices impact the type of flora we have.
"In the future, it is very likely that our improved understanding of the viral and microbial communities residing in our guts will result in better, personalised dietary advice or the creation of nutritional complements such as pro-biotics to improve our health and wellbeing," Dr Angly said. Dr Angly, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow from UQ's Advanced Water Management Centre (AWMC), was part of a team based in California who studied viral (phage) communities in the digestive tracts of mothers and their twin children. Dr Angly said the study showed environmental factors largely shaped viral gut flora, as twins displayed large inter-personal variations.
Diet and Behavior Changes May Slow Alzheimer’s - Wow! Diet and exercise, who could have predicted that?!
A combination of diet and lifestyle changes decreases Alzheimer’s-like symptoms in dogs more than either treatment does on its own, a new study shows. The findings show the importance of taking multiple approaches to arrest the disease in humans, the authors say. Their results also provide evidence supporting recent research that suggests plaque deposits in the brain are not the cause of Alzheimer’s. --- Research suggests diet and exercise can improve human brain function and defend against Alzheimer’s, but researchers aren’t sure why. Dogs naturally accumulate the same brain plaque, and though they don’t get Alzheimer’s, they do experience age-related cognitive decline. So scientists can study the animals to learn more about the human form of the disease.
Discovered: Indian spice reduces Alzheimer's symptoms by 30% - And curry - don't forget the curry - diet, exercise, and curry.
The compound curcumin, only found in turmeric, is a widely used spice found in Indian food, and is also popular in the cuisines of other South Asian countries like Nepal, Iran and Thailand. The bright yellow spice is familiar to fans of curry dishes, but it has been used in other preparations as well. For centuries, it has been used in Asian medicine.

Like other brightly colored foods (think blueberries, pomegranates and tomatoes), it is the compound that gives turmeric its color that makes it a powerful antioxidant — in this case, curcumin. And like the lycopene in tomatoes and the beta-carotene in carrots, bright orange-yellow curcumin has some seriously amazing health benefits. Preliminary clinical studies show curcumin helps reduce beta amyloid plaque in the brains of people with Alzheimer's (and prevent plaque buildup in people who don't have the disease).

OK, then, that's all for now - more soon. [Photo: Ciambue/Flickr]


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