USA: Fatty Diet May Cause New Brain Cells to Sprout

OGDEN, Utah / LiveScience / Health / March 26, 2012

Jennifer Welsh, LiveScience Staff Writer

Fatty foods may cause new brain cells to sprout in an area of the brain that regulates eating,
finds a new study in mice. CREDIT: Stock.xchng  

Eating too many burgers and fries? Your brain might show the effects, if new mouse research holds true in humans. Researchers have discovered that a high-fat diet causes new brain cells to sprout in an area of the brain that seems to regulate eating.

Interestingly, if the researchers stopped new brain-cell growth, mice gained less weight and stayed more active, even while eating their "supersize me" diet. 

"We really don’t understand the function of these neurons in the normal brain," study researcher Seth Blackshaw, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, told LiveScience. "Our data suggests that these neurons may have an important role in regulating feeding."

The cells are located in a part of the brain called the median eminence, which lies at the edge of a fluid-filled chamber and therefore outside of the blood-brain barrier (which keeps toxic substances out of the brain), but it extends deep into the hypothalamus. [10 Cool Facts About the Brain]


The hypothalamus plays a role in regulating how our bodies spend the energy they take in and sends out signals to the body through the pituitary gland to control hunger, thirst and behavior.
Because the median eminence is in contact with areas of the body outside the blood-brain barrier, researchers think it may be detecting chemicals in the blood, and transferring signals about the condition of the body into the hypothalamus, which can then make decisions about eating.


Big Mac diet
The researchers wanted to see how brain cells in the median eminence reacted to a high-fat diet, so they put mice on a "Big Mac" diet — which contained 60 percent fat instead of the 35 percent fat in regular mouse chow.


The mice love the high-fat food. They eat and eat and gain tons of weight, as humans would if we could eat only fast food. In the wild, this would be a good thing in times when food is freely available: The mice can fatten up to stay alive when food is scarce.


The researchers saw that on the high-fat diet, creation of new brain cells in the median eminence increased from 1 percent to 5 percent.


Next, the researchers selectively turned off the new brain-cell creation in this region, and compared these mice with the normal mice on a high-fat diet. When new brain-cell growth was turned off, the mice gained 7 percent less weight and were 15 percent more active than the other mice eating the fatty food.


"We have no idea if this happens in any species other than mice. In humans all the cells and the structures are conserved," Blackshaw said. "I think there's no reason to assume necessarily that this wouldn’t happen in humans, but I would be very careful into reading too much in these studies."


Staying thin
If this small connection to the hypothalamus does play a big role in regulating energy intake and use in humans, it could be a potential target for diet-regulating therapies, especially since it is located on the outside of the blood-brain barrier. If the region were inside the blood-brain barrier, that barrier would filter out any "foreign" chemicals used to regulate the growth of new brain cells there.


"The therapeutic potential [is] quite exciting," Blackshaw said. "The beauty of this region, this median eminence, is that it lies completely outside of the blood-brain barrier. Delivery of therapeutics to target [and] regulate neurons or regulate neurogeneration [the growth of new brain cells] could be made pretty specific."


The study was published today, March 25, in the journal Nature Neuroscience.

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USA: Overeating May Double Risk of Memory Loss

NEW YORK, NY / TIME Magazine / Healthland / February 13, 2012

By ALEXANDRA SIFFERLIN | @acsifferlin

                                                                                                                                                  CASPAR BENSON / GETTY IMAGES

Passing on a second helping of dessert may not only maintain your waistline but also your memory.

A new study found that elderly people who ate more calories a day had a higher risk of a type of memory loss called mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Researchers surveyed 1,233 people ages 70 to 89. The participants were free of dementia, but 163 had symptoms of MCI. Participants self-reported their daily caloric intake in a food questionnaire, and the researchers divided them into three groups accordingly. The lowest-calorie group consumed 600 to 1,526 calories per day, the middle group ate 1,526 to 2,143 per day, and the highest-intake group reported consuming between 2,143 to 6,000 calories per day.

(MORE: New Criteria May Change Alzheimer’s Diagnosis)

Those in the highest-calorie group were twice as likely to have MCI as those eating less than 1,526 calories a day. The risk was independent of other factors that influence memory loss like history of stroke, diabetes and level of education.

“The higher the amount of calories consumed, the higher the risk of MCI,” says study author Yonas Geda of the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz.; the study results will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s annual meeting in New Orleans in April.

MCI is a stage of cognitive decline between normal age-related memory loss and Alzheimer’s dementia. People with MCI have problems with memory and thinking that are noticeable to others, but that don’t interfere with everyday life. The condition can be a precursor to Alzheimer’s, but not all cases of MCI progress into full-blown dementia. According to the recent Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, more than 6% of Americans ages 70 to 89 develop MCI each year.

(MORE: To Ward Off Dementia, Try Staying Healthy from Head to Toe)

It’s unclear why the amount of calories we consume may affect memory, but some scientists theorize that excessive calorie intake may stimulate stress proteins in the brain, which may contribute to memory loss.

“Excessive calorie intake is the key here. Excessive intake is associated with thinking and memory,” says Geda. “The good news is consuming calories in moderation will not negatively influence memory. A healthy diet may prevent memory loss as we age.”

In a 2002 study, Columbia University researchers found similar results: among elderly people with Alzheimer’s-risk genes, those who ate higher-calorie diets had an increased risk of Alzheimer’s, compared with those who consumed less. And in a study in rats, Australian researchers also found that increased calorie intake was linked with memory loss, while reducing calories helped stave off such problems.

So cut back on those potato chips — it may be good for both your belly and your brain.

MORE: Study: Zapping the Brain Boosts Memory

© 2012 Time Inc.
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USA: Regardless of health conditions, eating balanced diet of healthy foods is still most important

SEATTLE, Washington / MadisonParkTimes / December 14, 2011

By Lindsey Hall

It starts in childhood, when many parents withhold dessert from their children until they’ve eaten a few beans and potatoes. From there, we all hear that it’s best to eat a balanced diet, complete with fruits and vegetables, whole grains and protein.

Yet, as we age and stand the risk of developing one of the thousands of health issues that plague the elderly, the very same tenets taught in our youth can help alleviate or prevent the deteriorating process entirely.

According to many dietitians, nutritionists and health gurus alike, eating a variety of healthy foods in moderation stands as the key to maintaining a healthy body, particularly for seniors.

“As our population ages, the functionality of the body definitely declines a little bit,” said Brian Higginson, a clinical nutrition specialist at Seattle’s Swedish Medical Center.

Noting how the needs of the body change over time, he cited the fact that as we grow older, the overall number of calories we need decreases, while our intake of vitamins, minerals and protein don’t budge. As a result, weight gain may occur over time due to the excess calories, which opens the door to an extensive list of other health concerns.

“For people who haven’t had problems before, like cholesterol or high blood sugar, as they age, they suddenly hear their doctors saying they’re at risk for a number of issues.”

The Mediterranean way

It’s a reality that to many — especially those who have eaten the same way for 50, 60 or 70 years — can seem quite shocking. Whether varying the type of foods consumed or lowering caloric intake, the biggest difficulty seniors face stems from the inability to shake their engrained eating habits.

Yet, the benefits are worth the hardship.

Using her own life as an example, Seattle-area registered dietitian Timi Gustafson recommends a plant-based diet to all of her clients, including the elderly.

“I believe it’s best to eat a heart-healthy diet,” she said, “which includes vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds and lean protein.”

Gustafson considers the diet to fall under the Mediterranean category, which also emphasizes healthy fats, such as olive oil, canola oil and those from fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

For seniors in particular, she considers this way of eating the most beneficial to stave off health ailments associated with aging.

“For many of my elderly clients, there are three main concerns: forgetfulness or the onset of dementia, macular degeneration in the eyes and overall bone health,” she said. “But with the Mediterranean diet, along with eating a minimal amount of processed food, we can address all three issues.”

From eating lots of carrots to absorb more beta-carotene to cooking a meal to include high-fiber beans, there are a number of ways seniors can safeguard their health through diet.

“Not to sound like a clichéd dietitian, but eating foods with high nutritional value is a great way to stay healthy,” Brian Higginson said.

Tailoring balanced diets

For individuals who have already developed health problems, diets can be tailored to match individual needs. In the case of diabetes, eating a diet low in sugar is critical to proper functioning.

Meanwhile, fending off heart disease and high cholesterol require decreasing the amount of “bad” fats, such as those from animals and processed foods, and increasing the amount of “good” fats.

Yet, no matter the disease, it’s important to keep an overall balance of healthy foods in mind.

“Generally, when I counsel people, I recommend a diet of 80 percent and 20 percent,” Higginson said. “Eighty percent of the time, we should make the healthiest food choices possible, and the other 20 percent is more flexible to eat less nutritious foods.”

For instance, he advises seniors cut down on sweets, reasoning that “they taste good going down, but definitely don’t have much nutritional benefit.”

Most importantly, seniors should remember that eating healthfully to ward off health issues trumps yo-yo dieting for the sole purpose of losing weight.

“I am absolutely against fad diets. I believe they’re just that: a fad,” Gustafson said. “A healthy diet is a lifestyle that lasts for the rest of our life. With diets, every year, there is something new coming out, and they never last.”

With the proper information, persistence and, in many cases, professional guidance, eating healthfully as we age is as real as the diseases it can prevent. Whether eating more fruits and vegetables or cooking fish once a week, the most vital piece to remember is that every effort pays off.

Copyright Pacific Publishing Company, Inc. 2010
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FRANCE: Cooking with Grandma - The new experience in luxury eating

BEIRUT, Lebanon / The Daily Star / Lifestyle / December 13, 2011

The newest breed of foodies don’t want to go out to eat: They want a Grandma to rustles up traditional Creole fare that might include honey lamb or fish curry at her home whilst sharing stories with her guests, before sending them off with a selection of handwritten recipes.  Oscar Mattsson/Getty Images 

CANNES, France:
Forget five-star restaurants. Food-loving tourists are getting their kicks in other ways, from cooking up a hotpot with a Mauritian grandmother to market shopping with a Venetian countess.

More than just fine dining, well-heeled travelers in search of gourmet luxury are seeking out “experiences,” sparking a shift in the tourist industry, according to experts at an upmarket travel fair in Cannes this week.

“Gourmet travel as a niche market is huge everywhere,” Jennifer Campbell, a member of the bespoke travel specialist Virtuoso network, told AFP at the annual International Luxury Travel Market.

“The trend is growing strongly,” said Campbell, whose firm will shortly fly a small group of epicureans on a truffle-hunting expedition to Italy.

“Travelers now want to go out and about to see for themselves, for example, how truffles grow, where to find them and how to cook them.”

The movement kicked off three to five years ago, boosted in the United States, Britain and elsewhere by rising interest in organic produce and local food, as well as global television hits such as “Masterchef.”

Frank Farneti, regional head of France’s luxury Relais et Chateaux hotel network, told a conference on gastronomic travel that success rests on creating an impression of authenticity.

One example is “Grandma’s Kitchen” at the Shanti Maurice Nira beachside resort in Mauritius, an alternative to the resort’s high-end restaurants – run by the real grandmother of one of the staff.

Grandma rustles up traditional Creole fare that might include honey lamb or fish curry at her home while sharing stories with her guests, before sending them off with a selection of handwritten recipes.

The simple experience has proved a hit with the resort’s well-heeled guests, along with a fish and rum shack set up on the beach.

“It’s all about taking people out of a cosseted, gated community and giving them an experience that they can’t get by themselves,” said the owner and chief executive of Nira Hotels and Resorts, MPS Puri.

The new Philippe Starck-designed boutique Hotel Palazzina Grassi, in the heart of historic Venice, is tapping into the culinary-driven market.

Guests can accompany one of the city’s best-known aristocrats, Countess Enrica Rocca, to the city’s famous Rialto market to learn how to select fresh, locally caught fish.

The countess leads them and their shopping baskets back home to prepare Venetian specialties, while regaling them with stories about her family.

Guests come from around Europe as well as Australia to enjoy a day out with the countess, at a cost of around $1,300, said a hotel spokeswoman.

© 2011 The Daily Star
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CANADA: What wines work for an older palate?

TORONTO, Ontario / The Globe and Mail / Life / December 7, 2011

FOOD & WINE

Ask A Wine Expert

By Beppi Crosariol

iStockPhoto

The question: My wife and I have just turned 70, and along with this comes false teeth that significantly affects your taste. Most white wines, unless very fruity, are not particularly distinctive, and the reds have to be full-bodied to really register. Do you happen to have any recommendations for wines with a strong rather than subtle flavour? My wife prefers merlot, while I tend to prefer a cabernet sauvignon. This getting old is not fun!

The answer: Your candour on this sometimes sensitive issue is appreciated.

Palate sensitivity, like a lot of things, starts to sag when you get on in years. It depends on genetics and health, of course. Some people can go nose to nose with a hound dog well into their 80s. But, generally speaking, once you cross to the wiser side of 65, taste buds lose their edge. I don’t know much about dentures (yet), but I’ll take your word for it.

I’ve received similar letters, including one from an octogenarian looking to offload his old Bordeaux treasures because – though otherwise in fine health – he simply gets less pleasure from his investment. Admitting you’re off your game, taste-wise, is sort of like admitting you no longer have the reflexes to drive a car. It’s a pride issue.

My suggestion: Explore New World wines. Sunny climates in many major regions outside Europe, such as much of California, South Australia, Chile and Argentina, tend to produce fuller-flavoured, highly fruity wines, the kind you seem to enjoy. You may have heard the term fruit bomb. Usually it’s used as a pejorative to describe warm-climate reds. In your case, it may have appealing resonance.

I’d side with you over your wife on the grape issue. Cabernet sauvignon is one of the most full-bodied and powerful wines, though smooth and plummy merlot is another good option. British Columbia makes some gorgeous, full-bodied merlot-based reds. Two other good choices include shiraz from Australia, particularly from the hot Barossa Valley, and red zinfandel from California. Fruit bombs don’t come any more explosive than Barossa shiraz or California zin. People who prefer white wines may want to try highly aromatic, fruity styles, such as New Zealand sauvignon blanc, Argentine torrontes, California moscato (usually semi-sweet) or gewurztraminer from Canada.

There’s a trade-off with some of the reds I’ve listed, though. They tend to carry high alcohol, which contributes body and power. That can be especially unwelcome with advanced age. Hangovers are no way to spend part of your retirement. And a tipsy head won’t cut it if you want to keep driving.

© Copyright 2011 The Globe and Mail Inc.

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USA: It Could Be Old Age, or It Could Be Low B12

NEW YORK, NY / The New York Times / Health / November 28, 2011

Personal Health
By Jane Brody

Yvetta Federova


Ilsa Katz was 85 when her daughter, Vivian Atkins, first noticed that her mother was becoming increasingly confused.

“She couldn’t remember names, where she’d been or what she’d done that day,” Ms. Atkins recalled in an interview. “Initially, I was not too worried. I thought it was part of normal aging. But over time, the confusion and memory problems became more severe and more frequent.”

Her mother couldn’t remember the names of close relatives or what day it was. She thought she was going to work or needed to go downtown, which she never did. And she was often agitated.

A workup at a memory clinic resulted in a diagnosis of early Alzheimer’s disease, and Ms. Katz was prescribed Aricept, which Ms. Atkins said seemed to make matters worse. But the clinic also tested Ms. Katz’s blood level of vitamin B12. It was well below normal, and her doctor thought that could be contributing to her symptoms.

Weekly B12 injections were begun. “Soon afterward, she became less agitated, less confused and her memory was much better,” said Ms. Atkins. “I felt I had my mother back, and she feels a lot better, too.”

Now 87, Ms. Katz still lives alone in Manhattan and feels well enough to refuse outside assistance.

Still, her daughter wondered, “Why aren’t B12 levels checked routinely, particularly in older people?”

It is an important question. As we age, our ability to absorb B12 from food declines, and often so does our consumption of foods rich in this vitamin. A B12 deficiency can creep up without warning and cause a host of confusing symptoms that are likely to be misdiagnosed or ascribed to aging.

A Vital Nutrient

B12 is an essential vitamin with roles throughout the body. It is needed for the development and maintenance of a healthy nervous system, the production of DNA and formation of red blood cells.

A severe B12 deficiency results in anemia, which can be picked up by an ordinary blood test. But the less dramatic symptoms of a B12 deficiency may include muscle weakness, fatigue, shakiness, unsteady gait, incontinence, low blood pressure, depression and other mood disorders, and cognitive problems like poor memory.

Labs differ in what they consider normal, but most authorities say a deficiency occurs when B12 levels in adults fall below 250 picograms per milliliter of blood serum. Like all Bvitamins, B12 is water-soluble, but the body stores extra B12 in the liver and other tissues. Even if dietary sources are inadequate for some time, a serum deficiency may not show up for years.

If the amount of B12 in storage is low to begin with, a deficiency can develop within a year, even more quickly in infants.

Recommended dietary amounts of B12 vary: 2.4 micrograms daily for those age 14 and older, 2.6 micrograms for pregnant women and 2.8 micrograms for nursing women. Barring circumstances that impair B12 absorption, these are levels easily obtained from awell-balanced diet containing animal protein.

In its natural form, B12 is present in significant amounts only in animal foods, most prominently in liver (83 micrograms in a 3.5-ounce serving). Good food sources include other red meats, turkey, fish and shellfish. Lesser amounts of the vitamin are present in dairy products, eggs and chicken.

Those at Risk

Natural plant sources are meager at best in B12, and the vitamin is poorly absorbed from them. Many strict vegetarians and all vegans, as well as infants they breast-feed, must consume supplements or fortified breakfast cereals to get adequate amounts.

Certain organisms, like the bacterium Spirulina and some algae, contain a pseudo-B12 that the body cannot use but may result in a false reading of a normal B12 level on a blood test. Despite claims to the contrary, laver, a seaweed, and barley grass are not reliable sources of B12.

In animal foods, B12 is combined with protein and must be released by stomach acid and an enzyme to be absorbed. Thus, chronic users of acid-suppressing drugs like Prilosec, Prevacid and Nexium, as well as ulcer medications like Pepcid and Tagamet, are at risk of developing a B12 deficiency and often require a daily B12 supplement.

Stomach acid levels decline with age. As many as 30 percent of older people may lack sufficient stomach acid to absorb adequate amounts of B12 from natural sources. Therefore, regular consumption of fortified foods or supplementation with 25 to 100 micrograms of B12 daily is recommended for people over 50.

Synthetic B12, found in supplements and fortified foods, does not depend on stomach acid to be absorbed. But whether natural or synthetic, only some of the B12 consumed gets into the body. Treatment to correct a B12 deficiency typically involves much larger doses than the body actually requires.

Free B12 from both natural and synthetic sources must be combined with a substance in the stomach called intrinsic factor to be absorbed through the gut. This factor is lacking in people with an autoimmune disorder called pernicious anemia; the resulting vitamin deficiency is commonly treated with injections of B12.

Although most doctors are quick to recommend injections to correct a B12 deficiency, considerable evidence indicates that, in large enough doses, sublingual (under-the-tongue) tablets or skin patches of B12 may work as well as injections for people with absorption problems, even for those with pernicious anemia.

Most often, a daily supplement of 2,000 micrograms is recommended for about a month, then lowered to 1,000 micrograms daily for another month, then lowered again to 1,000 micrograms weekly. Sublingual B12 or B12 patches, or even B12 lollipops, can be helpful for people who require a supplement but cannot swallow pills.

Others at risk of developing a B12 deficiency include heavy drinkers (alcohol diminishes B12 absorption), those who have had stomach surgery for weight loss or ulcers, and people who take aminosalicylic acid (for inflammatory bowel disease or tuberculosis) or the diabetes drug metformin (sold as Glucophage and other brands). Patients who take the anticonvulsants phenytoin, phenobarbital or primidone are also at risk.

Large doses of folic acid can mask a B12 deficiency and cause permanent neurological damage if normal levels of B12 are not maintained. Supplements of potassium impair B12 absorption in some people.

Although a B12 deficiency can raise blood levels of the amino acid homocysteine, a risk factor for heart disease and stroke, supplements of B12 have not reduced cardiovascular risk.

And while high homocysteine levels are linked to Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, lowering them with B12 supplements has not been shown to improve cognitive function. However, in one study, among women with a poor dietary intake of B12, supplements of the vitamin significantly slowed the rate of cognitive decline.

© 2011 The New York Times Company
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Seniors World Chronicle, a not-for-profit, serves to chronicle and widen their reach.

JAPAN: Heavy red meat diet poses colon cancer risk

TOKYO, Japan / The Japan Times / Life in Japan / November 29, 2011

A National Cancer Center team said Monday it has found people who eat large amounts of red meat are at greater risk of colon cancer and is advising consumption of beef and pork be pared.

The team tracked until 2006 the eating habits and cancer risks of some 80,000 men and women who were between the ages of 45 and 74 in the second half of the 1990s, including 788 who developed colon cancer during the tracking period, and divided them into five groups according to their meat consumption.

Women who ate some 80 grams or more of beef and pork daily had a 48 percent higher colon cancer risk than those who consumed less than 25 grams, the team said. The consumption weight is for beef and pork before cooking.

While no similar tendency was found among men, it said, men who ate some 100 grams or more of beef, pork and chicken had a 44 percent higher colon cancer risk than those who consumed less than 35 grams.

(C) The Japan Times____________________________________________________________
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AUSTRALIA: How to get the most out of veg

SYDNEY, NSW / Sydney Morning Herald / Life & Style / November 22, 2011

Chew on This
By Paula Goodyear




Get more from your greens ... add avocado to salads. Photo: Gary Schafer

There are two main rules for getting the most out of vegetables – one is eat lots of different coloured veg (not just the green ones) and the other is never ever boil them. Boiling vegetables is a food crime. Besides nuking important nutrients, it also kills off delicate flavours, giving good vegetables like broccoli and Brussels sprouts a bad name. If you ever wondered why Australia’s vegetable intake is low, boiling deserves some of the blame.

But while we’ve learned that lightly steaming (or microwaving) is the best way to preserve flavour as well as nutrients like vitamin C in cooked vegetables, how well do other methods like roasting and stir-frying do when it comes to locking the food value in?

They’re pretty good, according to nutritionist Dr Rosemary Stanton in her latest book, The Choice Guide to Food – how to look after your health, your budget and the planet.

“There’s not a lot of difference between stir-frying and steaming, as long as the stir-fried vegies are still crisp,” she says.

Stanton rates roasting as the next best way to preserve nutrients, especially if you wrap vegetables in foil. Stewing vegetables – as you might do in ratatouille or in a casserole - is okay too. You might lose some of the vitamin C and the B vitamin folate but most of it will go into the cooking liquid and be part of the meal, she adds. That’s assuming you don’t soak your vegetables in water first - another good way to sacrifice vitamin C.

But sometimes cooking can make it easier to get some nutrients from vegetables - carotenoids, an important group of around 600 plant chemicals found in brightly coloured fruit and vegetables, are absorbed better from cooked vegetables than raw. That doesn’t mean you have to cook every carrot – they still contribute useful amounts of carotenoids in their raw state, says Stanton who suggests eating some of your vegetables raw and some of them cooked.

As for what to dress your vegetables with, olive oil vinaigrette trumps fat free dressing every time.

“Carotenoids are absorbed better when some fat is eaten at the same meal – so adding a dressing with extra virgin olive oil or cooking tomatoes in olive oil helps to absorb these valuable compounds,” Stanton explains.

But whatever the cooking method, the fibre content of vegetables is bullet proof and won’t be lost – even if your beans are soggy.

Along with the right cooking techniques, there are other ways of getting more bang for your buck with vegetables. Many nutrients work better as a team than all by themselves – which helps explain why eating a broad mix of fresh food is good for us. You’ll absorb more iron if you eat a vitamin C rich food with your iron food, for instance – think tomatoes or red capsicum with a plant source of iron like red kidney beans.

Tossing avocado into a salad can also make a difference. Along with its own package of vitamins and minerals, it has a similar effect to adding olive oil – the healthy fat helps us capture more nutrients. In a study at Ohio University, researchers found that the fat in avocado helped to absorb more of the antioxidant lycopene and more carotenoids from tomatoes. The same researchers found that when volunteers ate a salad they absorbed four times as much lutein from the leafy greens when avocado was added to the mix – lutein is the antioxidant credited with protecting against vision loss from macular degeneration.

Another winning combination could be broccoli paired with spicy salad vegetables like radish, rocket or watercress – University of Illinois researchers say that an enzyme in these hot flavoured vegetables boosts broccoli’s cancer fighting properties.


Copyright © 2011 Fairfax Media
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USA: Fish eaters less likely to suffer a stroke

NEW YORK, NY / Reuters Health /  September 26, 2011

Can eating fish lower the risk of strokes?

By Genevra Pittman at Reuters Health
Editing by Elaine Lies

Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha look at the

fish counter inside the fish shop ''Fresh From The Sea'' in Port Isaac,

south west England August 21, 2011. Credit: Reuters/Matt Cardy/pool

People who eat fish a few times each week are slightly less likely to suffer a stroke than those who only eat a little or none at all, according to an international analysis.

The omega-3 fatty acids in fish may lower stroke risk through their positive effects on blood pressure and cholesterol, wrote Susanna Larsson and Nicola Orsini of Sweden's Karolinska Institute in the journal Stroke.

Their analysis was based on 15 studies conducted in the United States, Europe, Japan and China, each of which asked people how frequently they ate fish, then followed them for between four and 30 years to see who suffered a stroke.

"I think overall, fish does provide a beneficial package of nutrients, in particular the omega-3s, that could explain this lower risk," said Dariush Mozaffarian, a Harvard School of Public Health epidemiologist whose research was included in the analysis.
Photo:
Stephanie Mitchell/
Harvard Staff Photographer

"A lot of the evidence comes together suggesting that about two to three servings per week is enough to get the benefit."

Vitamin D, selenium, and certain types of proteins in fish may also have stroke-related benefits, he added.

Data for the analysis came from close to 400,000 people aged 30 to 103.

Over anywhere from a few years to a few decades, about 9,400 people had a stroke. Eating three extra servings of fish each week was linked to a six-percent drop in stroke risk, which translates to one fewer stroke among a hundred people eating extra fish over a lifetime.

The people in each study who ate the most fish were 12 percent less likely to have a stroke than those that ate the least.

Mozaffarian's report separated the effects of different kinds of fish and found that people who ate more fried fish and fish sandwiches, not surprisingly, didn't get any stroke benefit.

But the research can't prove that adding more non-fried fish to your diet will keep you from having a stroke, Mozaffarian told Reuters Health.

People "could have healthier diets in other ways, people could exercise more, people could have better education that could lead them to see their doctors more," he added, all of which could decrease their risk of strokes.

Still, most studies have tried to take those other health and nutrition factors into account to isolate the effects of fish as much as possible -- and they suggest a cause-and-effect relationship, he said.

It's likely that people who start out eating no fish or very little probably have the most to gain by putting it on their plate more often.

"You get a lot of bang for your buck when you go from low intake to moderate, a few servings per week," Mozaffarian said.

After that, the benefit from each extra serving probably goes down.

Fatty fish such as salmon and herring are especially high in omega-3s, The American Heart Association recommends at least two servings of fatty fish in particular each week.

Source: Thomson Reuters
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CANADA: Average Canadian eats 26 tsp of sugar a day

TORONTO, Ontario / The Globe and Mail / Health News / September 21, 2011

Sweet heavens:
Statscan finds average Canadian eats 26 tsp of sugar a day

Carly Weeks
Globe and Mail Update

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Canadians eat a lot of sugar. Or do we?

A new report released Wednesday by Statistics Canada has, for the first time, offered a comprehensive snapshot of how much sugar Canadians consume each day. On average, people across the country down the equivalent of 26 teaspoons of sugar a day, which accounts for about 21 per cent of all calories consumed.

While that includes sugar from fruit, milk and other natural sources, Statistics Canada reported that 35 per cent of all sugar consumed comes from products sweetened by the manufacturer, such as pop, fruit juice and candy.

Added sugar raises concern for dietitians and other health experts, because whereas natural sources of sugar provide other important nutrients and vitamins, items such as pop and candy are “empty calories” that can contribute to weight gain and obesity.

The top sources of sugar consumed by Canadians include milk, fruit, pop, candy, fruit juice and vegetables, according to the report.

But for all the information it provides, the report also exposes problems in understanding how much sugar is coming from natural or artificial sources, as well as a lack of consensus on how much is too much.

The report was compiled using data from the 2004 Canadian Community Health Survey, which asked more than 35,100 people about everything they had consumed in the previous 24 hours.

Researchers were unable to distinguish between calories derived from natural and non-natural sources of sugar, a significant flaw that hampers the ability to assess accurately whether Canadians are consuming too much sugar from unhealthy sources.

Researchers used the foods and beverages reported by survey participants to simply estimate the amounts and types of sugar they were consuming from natural and artificial sources.

From their estimates, they concluded that more than one-third of sugar consumed by Canadians comes from pop, desserts, cereal and similar products containing added sugar. Consumption of products containing added sugar accounted for 17 per cent of sugar consumption among those aged 1 to 3, but rose to more than 40 per cent among those aged 14 to 18, with teenage boys getting nearly half of their sugar from artificial sources. Among seniors, consumption of products with added sugar decreased to 25 per cent of total sugar intake.

Men consumed more sugar from those food categories than women, regardless of age, the report said.

However, researchers were unable to say how many calories the average Canadian consumes in products that have had sugar added.

Another significant issue is that no clear guidelines exist for the right amount of sugar consumption. Health Canada has no maximum targets or guidelines advising Canadians how much of their diet should come from food with added sugar.

The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, an influential, independent U.S. organization that advises governments on health policy, says added sugars should account for no more than 25 per cent of a person’s daily calories. But the World Health Organization states that the number should be much lower, at 10 per cent.

Rosie Schwartz, a Toronto-based dietitian, author and advocate on a variety of nutrition issues, says the lack of consensus or guidance is one of the factors creating confusion among consumers about how much sugar is healthy. Many people don’t know what the daily limit should be, or that many foods that seem healthy, such as fruit juice or flavoured yogurt, could contain added sugar.

Compounding these problems is the fact nutrition labels often make it challenging to tell whether a product contains added sugar, she said.

“That can make it very difficult for people,” Ms. Schwartz said. “I would like to see more clear labelling.”

The Canadian Sugar Institute, an industry group, said the results of the Statistics Canada report demonstrate that Canadians are not consuming unhealthy amounts of sugar and will help “dispel considerable misinformation regarding Canadian consumption patterns.”

But Ms. Schwartz said that while the report doesn’t provide all the answers about sugar intake in Canada, it does highlight the fact that many people are consuming excessive amounts.

For instance, pop accounted for 14 per cent of total sugar intake, candy for 10 per cent and fruit juice for 9 per cent among those aged 9 to 18. Milk made up 14 per cent of calories and fruit 10.6 per cent.

Among adults, pop accounted for 13 per cent of sugar intake, milk 10 per cent, fruit juice 7.6 per cent and candy 5 per cent.

“I think that we need to reduce… sugar consumption,” Ms. Schwartz said. “Too much sugar does have health consequences.”

© Copyright 2011 The Globe and Mail Inc.
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Seniors World Chronicle, a not-for-profit, serves to chronicle and widen their reach.

AUSTRALIA: McDonald's loses Heart Foundation's tick of approval

MELBOURNE, Victoria / The Age / Life & Style / September 21, 2011

Diet & Fitness

McDonald's is losing its right to use the National Heart Foundation tick of approval.

Photo by courtesy: ds72

McDonald's will lose the right to display the National Heart Foundation's Tick on foods marketed as healthy options.

The fast food giant pays about $300,000 a year so it can put the trademarked Tick next to fish burgers, salads and chicken wraps.

But the Heart Foundation has told McDonald's it is removing the company's right to use the Tick, which has been used to promote its foods during the past five years, News Ltd reports.

A number of smaller takeaway chains, including gourmet pizza group Crust, will also lose the Tick, but the symbol will remain on supermarket foods.

The foundation's chief executive Lyn Roberts said the move was not a criticism of McDonald's but a change in direction to concentrate on ingredients delivered to restaurants and food outlets.

The foundation also plans to announce a new plan to conduct random tests on restaurant and takeaway food for levels of saturated fat and salt. (AAP).

Copyright © 2011 Fairfax Media
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Seniors World Chronicle, a not-for-profit, serves to chronicle and widen their reach.

CANADA: Inactive seniors need to reduce salt intake

TORONTO, Ontario / Toronto Sun / Life / Health & Fitness / August 22, 2011

By Sharon Lem, Toronto Sun

High-salt diets coupled with low physical activity can be detrimental

to the mental health of those 65 and older. (QMI files)

Here's another reason for couch potatoes to lay off the salt.

Older adults who lead sedentary lives and consume a lot of salt may be at risk not only for heart disease, but cognitive decline.

A study -- published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging -- found evidence high-salt diets coupled with low physical activity can be detrimental to the mental health of those 65 and older.

"Our results show it's a combination of high salt intake and low physical activity which declined cognitive function. The message is if you're not active, make sure you cut back on your salt intake," said lead investigator Dr. Alexandra Fiocco, a scientist with Toronto's Baycrest Hospital's Kunin-Lunenfeld Applied and Evaluative Research Unit.

The study followed 1,262 healthy seniors between the ages of 67 and 84, tracking their sodium consumption and physical activity over three years.

The participants had a daily sodium intake ranging from 2,263 milligrams to 8,098 milligrams.

Participants were given an exam to measure their cognitive decline. The scores showed those with the lowest salt consumption suffered less of a cognitive decline than participants with the higher sodium intake.

Health Canada recommends people aged 14 years and older consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of salt each day.

Copyright © 2011 Toronto Sun
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USA: McDonald's introduces apples to Happy Meals as portion of fries halved

SYDNEY, NSW / The Sydney Morning Herald / Restaurants & Bars / July 27, 2011

Happy Meals ... they'll now include an apple in the US. Photo: Reuters

McDonald's in the US has announced it will tweak its Happy Meals, reducing the french fry portion by more than half and automatically adding apples to the popular children's meals, after coming under pressure from consumer groups to provide healthier fare.

McDonald's - which has been taking heat from parents, consumer groups and local lawmakers over the nutritional content and marketing of Happy Meals - said it would start making the changes in September and the new Happy Meals would be available in all of its 14,000 US restaurants by the end of the first quarter of 2012.

The new child's french fry portion will be 1.1 ounces (31.2 grams), down from 2.4 ounces previously, and equal to about 100 calories.

McDonald's currently offers apple slices with caramel dipping sauce as a Happy Meal side. The new apple portion size is 1.2 ounces, compared with 3.1 ounces previously, and has no added sugar or accompanying dipping sauces.

Read more:

Reuters with Glenda Kwek

Copyright © 2011 Fairfax Media
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CHINA: For 42 years, Chen Dejun, 71, drinks gasoline as medicine

BEIJING, China / The China Daily / Life & Culture / July 12, 2011

Chen Dejun drinks gas for medicine in Chongqing, July 11, 2011. Photo/CFP

By Uking Sun (chinadaily.com.cn)

Gasoline powers vehicles all around the world, but a sick Chinese man has been drinking the sticky liquid for 42 years under the illusion that it can relieve his physical pain.

Chen Dejun, 71, lives by himself in shabby thatched cottage on a hill in Shuijiang township, Nanchuan district of southwest China's Chongqing municipality. The short and bony man said he drinks 3 to 3.5 kilograms of gasoline every month, which he buys from a station at the foot of the hill.

Chen is known locally as a stonecutter and master of weaving bamboo with a good business sense. But he’s also known for his undying love of drinking gasoline.

He developed the habit back in 1969 when he suddenly began coughing and felt pain in his chest. Seeing no progress after trying some medicine, he took up the folk remedy of drinking kerosene, Chongqing Evening News reported.

Chen Dejun works in his cottage in Chongqing, July 11, 2011. Photo/CFP

It turned out to be helpful for him after the first sip, and he since became addicted to kerosene. Then he moved on to gasoline.

Chen said it is hard to calculate exactly how much gasoline he has swallowed throughout his life, but the newspaper reported Chen has consumed an estimated 1.5 tons over the past 42 years.

Chen's wife Yuan Huibi and their three sons tried many times to stop Chen's addiction to gasoline, but those efforts only made the family relations tense. Eight years ago Chen moved to the cottage to live alone.

Sources from Honglou Hospital in Chongqing said Chen‘s health is fine despite having symptoms of emphysema. Chen refused to receive free check ups from the hospital.

Feng Fu, an associate professor with the Second Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing Medical University, said Chen may have developed some resistance to gasoline. Otherwise, Feng said, it would be impossible for Chen to live. Feng also said gasoline may only work as anaesthetic for Chen but can’t cure his pain.

Chen Dejun receives medical check-up in his cottage in Chongqing. Photo/CFP

Copyright 1995 - 2010 China Daily Information Co (CDIC).

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SINGAPORE: One in Three Elderly Singaporeans Not Eating Right

JAKARTA, Indonesia / The Jakarta Globe / News / July 15, 2011

Feng Zengkun - Straits Times Indonesia

Singapore. Whether out of a diminished enjoyment of food or the fact that they live alone, one in three elderly people in the city state is not taking in enough calcium, carbohydrates and fiber.

The upshot of their poor food choices? They are at high risk of malnutrition, a condition caused by a diet of too much or too few nutrients such as zinc or iron.

The findings were published recently in two separate studies by Tan Tock Seng Hospital and health-care company Abbott Nutrition.

Together, the studies surveyed about 700 elderly people in Singapore aged 50 and older.

The Abbott study also found that the elderly living in one- and two-room flats have a higher risk of malnutrition.

Experts The Straits Times spoke to said the poor attention many elderly people paid to their diet could lead to more frequent falls, slower recovery from injuries and a host of diet-related complications such as fragile bones.

At a nutrition seminar in Singapore yesterday, Professor Jean-Pierre Michel, 51, head of the geriatric ward at the Geneva Medical School and University Hospitals, called the findings "serious".

He said the lack of a proper diet was linked to a condition called sarcopenia, which causes people to lose muscle mass and strength.

This could lead to the elderly becoming weaker and more prone to falls, he added, noting that about 20 per cent of people who suffer hip fractures die within a year of the injury.

"Half of them never regain their former mobility," he said.

Experts The Straits Times spoke to said reasons for the elderly's poor diet ranged from a lack of interest in food to their living environment.

Dietitian Teo Soo Lay at the Singapore General Hospital said elderly people who live alone have no motivation to cook for themselves. "Most of the time, they will just eat biscuits or plain bread for their main meals, which is very poor nutrition," she added.

Others said natural consequences of aging, such as problems with chewing and swallowing, also put the elderly off their food.

F Kavin Seow, director of Touch Home Care, which delivers meals to the elderly, said it makes sure the food comes in small pieces to aid digestion.

"We don't serve hard and deep-fried food either," he added.

Elderly people The Straits Times spoke to said they were not fussy about food because their sense of taste had declined.

Retiree Dng Soon Kiat, 84, who lives alone in a Chinatown flat, said he drinks two cups of black coffee - for the sharp taste - and eats all three meals a day at a hawker centre.

"Sometimes, somebody will buy me a steamed bun and I'll eat that," he said. "At my age, it all tastes about the same."

Others added more salt or spices such as chilli to give the food an extra "kick". "Otherwise, what's the point of eating if you can't taste anything?" said housewife Jenny Chua, 53, who cooks for her family about twice a week.

Nutritionists said there was no need to totally restrict the intake of salt and sugar but moderation was the key.

They added that more education about the nutritional value of food was needed.

They said the elderly tend to eat more white rice, believing it is good for them, even though it actually offers little nutritional value.

Family members also need to play a role, noted SGH's Teo.

She said some people may routinely serve the elderly the same dishes out of fear that other types of food could be unhealthy.

"That makes food unappealing to the elderly in general. It's important to keep eating interesting to them," she said.

Retiree Irene Teo, 67, who makes sure her family eats together at least once a week, has a simple tip for the younger generation.

"Eat with your parents and pay attention to them. That always makes us want to eat healthily too."

Reprinted courtesy of Straits Times Indonesia.

Copyright ©2011 Jakarta Globe
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Seniors World Chronicle, a not-for-profit, serves to chronicle and widen their reach.

INDIA: Vitamin C from food tied to lower cataract risk

NEW YORK, NY / Reuters Health / Health News / July 14, 2011

By Amy Norton

Older adults who get very little vitamin C in their diets may have an increased risk of developing cataracts, a study in India finds.

Cataracts are a clouding of the eye's lens that commonly cause vision problems in older people. Some studies, but not all, have found that people with higher intakes of antioxidants, including vitamin C, may have a lower risk of developing the condition.

But those studies have been done in Western countries -- and not in lower-income countries like India, where people's vitamin C levels tend to be very low and rates of cataract are particularly high.

Credit: Reuters/Regis Duvignau


For the new study, researchers evaluated more than 5,600 Indian adults age 60 and up for cataracts. They also interviewed them about their diets and lifestyle habits, and measured their blood levels of vitamin C.

Overall, nearly 73 percent of the study participants were found to have cataracts. But that risk dipped as vitamin C blood levels and vitamin C intake rose.

In the roughly one-quarter of older adults with the highest vitamin C levels, the risk of cataract was 39 percent lower than in people with the lowest levels of the nutrient. That was with factors like income, smoking habits, high blood pressure and diabetes taken into account.

But vitamin C levels were generally very low. More than half of the study participants were deficient, and the bottom 30 percent of the group had vitamin C concentrations below the level of detection (2 micromoles per liter). Anything below 11 micromoles per liter is considered a vitamin C deficiency.

Credit: Reuters/Darrin Zammit Lupi

Even in the group with the highest vitamin C levels, the typical amount was just 38 micromoles per liter. By comparison, in cataract studies in Europe and the U.S., the "high-C" groups have had levels of 70 micromoles or higher.

The findings, reported in the journal Ophthalmology, do not prove that adequate vitamin C protects against cataracts.

But it's biologically plausible, said senior researcher Astrid E. Fletcher, a professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in the UK.

Vitamin C is an antioxidant, which means it helps protect body cells from damage caused by so-called oxidative stress.

"Laboratory and animal studies show vitamin C plays a very important part in defending the lens of the eye against oxidative stress," Fletcher explained in an email.

"The eye is particularly vulnerable to oxidative stress as the 'seeing' organ of the body," she added. "Light is essential for vision but light is also very damaging. The lens absorbs ultraviolet radiation, a major source of oxidative stress."

But that biological plausibility does not mean that older adults should load up on vitamin C supplements to ward off cataracts.

Fletcher said the current findings have relevance primarily for India, where people's vitamin C levels are generally low. They might also have implications for other lower-income countries, she added, but those studies have not been done yet.

In Western countries, studies have come to conflicting conclusions as to whether people with high vitamin C intakes have a lower cataract risk.

What's more, clinical trials that have tested high doses of vitamin C and other antioxidants for preventing cataracts have failed to show a benefit.

One reason, Fletcher noted, may be that well-nourished people in high-income countries already have fairly high vitamin C levels, and an extra dose from a pill has little benefit to offer. Vitamin C is water-soluble, and excess amounts are quickly excreted from the body.

Another possibility, according to Fletcher, is that taking a few nutrients in pill form simply does not mimic the effects of a good diet.

Foods high in vitamin C include citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruit, green and red peppers, kiwifruit, strawberries, broccoli and tomatoes. In the U.S., the official recommendation is for men to get 90 milligrams of vitamin C per day, while women should get 75 milligrams.

In this study, most older Indian adults were getting well below that.

If extra vitamin C was shown to lower cataract risk in India, the benefits could be substantial.

"India has the highest burden of blindness in the world," Fletcher said, "and the main cause is cataract."

Reference: Ophthalmology
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