Tag Archives: health

Just Say No to Soda for 2018- Part II

In our second post regarding sodas and soft drinks, we will review research from China which examines the association between sugar-sweetened beverages and the development of Type 2 Diabetes.

The research group pooled data from 8 studies published between 2004 and 2014. This comprised over 286,000 participants. Of the 8 studies, one was from Asia, two from Europe, and five from the US. In general, the studies included in the meta-analysis were considered to be of “high-quality”.

Researchers found that those subjects with a higher-intake of sugar-sweetened beverages had a 30% greater risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. When the data was adjusted for body mass index, the increased risk for developing Type 2 diabetes continued to be significantly positive, at 26%. The follow-up period varied from 5 to 20 years.

This is a compelling study, with a huge number of subjects, spread out over three continents, and included both men and women.

The statistics for Type 2 diabetes in the US are staggering. According to the CDC’s National Diabetes Statistical Report approximately 30 million people in the US have diabetes, making up more than 9% of the population. Complications of diabetes include cardiovascular disease (heart attacks and strokes) and kidney disease. It is estimated that the cost of diabetes in the US in 2012 was $245 billion.

US per capita soda consumption is approximately 41 gallons per person. While this is a substantial decrease from the 1998 peak consumption of 53 gallons per capita, it still represents nearly 500 cans of soda per year for the typical American. These are calories which are devoid of nutritional value, but do substantially increase your risk of Type 2 diabetes. Cutting back or eliminating soda for 2018 might go a long way towards improved health, and may reduce your risk of developing diabetes in the future.

(Source- Journal of Diabetes Investigation, Vol 6 No 3, May 2015)

This blog is a review of medical and scientific literature, and should only be used for informational purposes. It does not constitute medical or health advice, nor does it create a physician-patient relationship with anyone. Discuss any health concerns with you personal physician.

Just Say No to Soda for 2018- Part I

As 2018 begins a common inquiry from patients at the start of a new year is what can be done to improve health going forward. Often these questions fall into discussion about proper diet or exercise regimens, or some combination of these. The onset of a new calendar year gives us another opportunity to reflect on what we can do to improve our overall health status.

One area of diet that offers a fairly simple and painless way to better health is to limit or eliminate soda (aka soft drinks), both sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened.

A study from 2016 supports the limiting of sodas. Korean researchers looked at the association of both sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened beverages with the risk of development of hypertension. The research group identified six studies, with over 246,000 participants, for their analysis of sugar-sweetened beverages and hypertension. For artificially sweetened beverages and hypertension, a total of 4 studies involving over 227,000 subjects were identified. Most of the studies were conducted in the US, while one was conducted in Spain. Most of the studies included were considered to be of “high quality”.

The age at initiation into the study ranged from 18 to 84 years, while the duration of follow-up ranged from 4 to 38 years. Both men and women were included. Food frequency questionnaires were used for dietary assessments.

What the researchers found was a positive association between both sugar-sweetened beverages and hypertension, and artificially sweetened beverages and hypertension as well. More telling, when the lowest intake groups for sugar-sweetened beverages and artificially sweetened beverages were compared to the highest intake groups, it was found that each additional serving of sugar-sweetened beverage per day was associated with an 8% increased risk of hypertension, while each additional serving of an artificially sweetened beverage per day was associated with a 9% increased risk of hypertension. When researchers analyzed the groups based on gender, body mass index, and duration of follow-up period these positive associations continued to hold.

Recent figures indicate Americans consume an average of nearly 500 cans of soda each year. The US is second only to Argentina in per capita soda consumption. 500 cans of soda per year is a staggering total. Cutting back or going soda-free may be a great first step in making 2018 a healthier year for you.

(Source- Archives of Cardiovascular Disease (2016) 109)

This blog is a review of medical and scientific literature, and should only be used for informational purposes. It does not constitute medical or health advice, nor does it create an physician-patient relationship with anyone. Discuss any health concerns with your personal physician.

Blueberries- Good For Your Brain?

July is National Blueberry Month and in recognition of this today’s post will examine research related to the benefits of blueberry supplementation in children.

 

Bluberries1

 

A group of researchers affiliated with the University of Reading in the United Kingdom designed a study to examine the potential benefits of blueberry supplementation in children. The researchers took a group of 7-10 year olds and administered a drink containing either 15 or 30 grams of freeze-dried wild blueberries, or a placebo drink. The researchers did their best to conceal from the participants the real blueberry drink from the placebo drink, using opaque cups and straws.

Children in the study were administered a variety of tests of cognitive performance, including the Auditory Verbal Learning Task, Modified Flanker Task, and Picture Matching Task tests.

Results of the study showed that wild blueberry supplementation led to significant improvement in cognition. The 30 gram supplemented group showed the best improvement in their performance compared to baseline, while the 15 gram supplemented group also showed improvement, but not as substantial as the 30 gram group.

Eating healthy blueberries seems a simple and low risk way to possibly improve cognitive performance, and celebrate National Blueberry Month at the same time.

 

This blog is a review of medical and scientific literature, and should only be used for informational purposes. It does not constitute medical or health advice, nor does it create a physician-patient relationship with anyone. Discuss any health concerns with your personal physician.

(Source- European Journal of Nutrition, October 5, 2015)

 

Soda May Cause Worsening of Osteoarthritis in Men

In a study published in the BMJ Open, researchers found that the consumption of soft drinks may be associated with an increased progression of osteoarthritis (OA)  of the knees in men. Researchers examined data from the Osteoarthritis initiative, which was started in 2002 by the National Institutes of Health.

Data from over 2000 participants was examined. X-rays of the knees were taken to evaluate the joint space narrowing in patients, over a course of four years.

Results of the study showed that increased soft drink intake was associated with an increasing rate of OA progression in the knees of men. Interestingly, this relationship did not hold for women. The research group also looked at fruit juice intake and OA progression, and no association was found.

Diet sodas were not examined as part of this particular study. It would be helpful to know if diet sodas were better, worse or the same relative to regular soda. It would also be helpful to know if discontinuation of soda led to improving osteoarthritis status. These may be areas of further research. In any case, this study provides yet another reason to cut back or eliminate sodas entirely, particularly in men.

(Source- BMJ Open 2013; 3: e002993)

This bog is a review of medical and scientific literature, and should only be used for informational purposes. It does not constitute medical or health advice, nor does it create a physician-patient relationship with anyone. Discuss any health concerns with your personal physician.

Walnut Oil Lowers Cholesterol in Diabetics

May 17th is National Walnut Day, and in recognition of this today’s post will review recently published research on walnut oil.

A group of researchers in Iran designed a study to examine the effects of walnut oil on lipids in a group of patients with Type 2 diabetes. Compared to other tree nuts such as almonds, cashews, hazelnuts and pecans, walnuts are particularly high in essential fatty acids, such as linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid. Because of favorable nutritional qualities such as this walnuts have been the subject of research in regards to potential health benefits. China is the largest producer of walnuts in the world, while the U.S. is the largest exporter of walnuts.

The researchers completed a double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial, enrolling 45 diabetic patients in the walnut oil group, and another 45 patients in the placebo group. Those in the walnut oil group ingested four capsules of walnut oil three times each day. Those in the placebo group ingested similar capsules which contained simply water.

Labs were drawn at the start of the study and again at the conclusion after three months. The primary outcome measure was change in total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL (“bad cholesterol”) and HDL (“good cholesterol”).

After 90 days researchers found that the participants in the walnut oil group had a significant decrease in total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL. There was also a trend towards higher HDL. The walnut oil preparation was well tolerated, with no significant side effects. 

Walnuts may be part of a low-risk diet strategy for primary prevention in a high risk population of diabetic patients.

 (Source- Nutrition&Diabetes (2017) 7, 259)

This blog is a review of medical and scientific literature, and should only be used for informational purposes. It does not constitute medical or health advice, nor does it create a physician-patient relationship with anyone. Discuss any health concerns with your personal physician.

 

Curcumin For Knee Arthritis

May is recognized as Arthritis Awareness Month and we will have several posts on arthritis during the month of May.

Curcumin is a spice that has been used since ancient times, often as a coloring agent in Asian foods. Curcumin is an active ingredient of the Asian spice turmeric, which is a member of the ginger family. Turmeric is a widely used spice in South Asian and Middle Eastern cooking and is grown in India, Nepal, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and elsewhere. Turmeric is also used in Ayurvedic Medicine, and is currently being studied in Western Medicine for possible uses. Curcumin has been shown to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. There has been a lot of interest in this spice due to its potential health benefits.

A research group in Thailand recently completed a study of the efficacy of an extract of curcuma domestica in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. A total of 367 subjects enrolled in the study. The participants in the study were primarily female (90%), with a mean age of 60 years. The group receiving the curcuma extract was compared to a similar group which instead received ibuprofen for the knee pain. 

The enrollees in the study were assessed at baseline, at 2 weeks, and at 4 weeks, which was the end of the study. Patients were assessed via a functional pain scale, and a six-minute walk test.

At the end of the four-week study the extract of curcuma domestica was found to be as effective as ibuprofen. The curcuma was generally well tolerated, with few side effects.

(Source- Clinical Interventions in Aging 2014:9)

This blog is a review of medical and scientific literature, and should only be used for informational purposes. It does not constitute medical or health advice, nor does it create a physician-patient relationship with anyone.. Discuss any health concerns with your personal physician.

 

Healthy Diet Reduces Risk For Depression

Today’s post is our third in recognition of National Mental Health Month. Today’s post will examine recently published research from Australia.

Researchers performed a meta-analysis on existing research regarding the association between dietary habits and the risk of depression. They were able to identify 21 studies (20 observational and one random controlled trial) that met their inclusion criteria. These studies were from Europe, the U.S., Australia, Japan, Taiwan and the UK, and involved thousands of patients, with ages between 20 and 94 years.

 After compiling data from these 21 different studies and performing the analysis, researchers concluded that a healthy diet composed of high consumption of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, poultry and fish was associated with a statistically significant reduction in the odds of depression.

The  World Health Organization has concluded that depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide. It is estimated that more than one out of twenty Americans ages 12 and older will report moderate to severe depression symptoms over a given two-week period. With statistics like these, a healthy dietary approach seems like a beneficial primary prevention strategy for depression.

 (Source- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2014;99)

This blog is a review of medical and scientific literature, and should only be used for informational purposes. It does not constitute medical or health advice, nor does it create a physician-patient relationship with anyone. Discuss any health concerns with your personal physician.

Black Cumin Helps With Symptoms of Metabolic Syndrome

blackcumin1

Today’s post is about metabolic syndrome and lipids, another in our series of blogs for Cholesterol Education Month.

Black cumin (Nigella Sativa) is an annual flowering plant found in southern Europe, southwest Asia and north Africa. The black cumin seeds have long been used as a spice in both Indian and Middle Eastern cuisines. Written references to black cumin appear in ancient texts, and the Book of Isaiah (28: 25,27) references cumin seeds. Modern research has focused on the pharmacologic properties of black cumin.

A group of researchers in Pakistan recently performed an interesting study in which they looked at black cumin to treat the symptoms of metabolic syndrome (also known as insulin resistance). There are five metabolic risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome, these include large waistline, high triglyceride level, low HDL (“good cholesterol”), high blood pressure, and high fasting blood sugar. Having at least three of these five symptoms is considered to be a diagnosis of metabolic syndrome. Recent data estimates from 2011-2012 show that 35% of all U.S. adults and 50% of those 60 years and older meet the criteria of metabolic syndrome. As metabolic syndrome is very often a precursor to diabetes this is a national health issue of first order.

The researchers enrolled 159 subjects into the study, of which there was a black cumin supplemented group, and a non-supplemented group. All subjects were recently diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, and the study included both men and women, ages 25-65 years.  All subjects were on a standard treatment regimen for metabolic syndrome, including pharmaceutical medicines such as atenolol, clopidogrel, enalapril, metformin, and simvastatin. In addition the black cumin group took Nigella seeds in a capsule form 250 mg twice daily. The study ran for six weeks.

Several clinical parameters of metabolic syndrome were measured, both at the start of the study and then again at conclusion. These included body mass index (BMI), circumference of the abdomen and hip, body weight, waist-hip ratio, blood pressure, blood glucose, total cholesterol, LDL (“bad cholesterol”), triglycerides, and HDL.

At the conclusion of the six-week trial the clinical parameters were again measured. There were improvements in all parameters, both in the standard treatment group as well as in the black cumin supplemented group, as one would expect. In addition, in the black cumin seed group, there was a statistically significant improvement in fasting blood sugar, LDL and HDL, over the standard treatment (non black cumin seed supplemented) group. To see a statistically significant improvement in just six weeks is profound.

Metabolic syndrome is a serious health issue, not only in the U.S., but world-wide. Proper diet and exercise are a mainstay of treatment, as well as medications. Part of the solution may well be use of ancient or traditional foods, such as black cumin.

(Source- African Journal of Biotechnology, Vol. 11948), June 2012).

This blog is a review of medical and scientific literature, and should only be used for informational purposes. It does not constitute medical or health advice, nor does it create a physician-patient relationship with anyone. Discuss any health concerns with your personal physician.

Pantothenic Acid Helps Lower Cholesterol

vitaminB

September is designated as Cholesterol Education Month. Several of our blogs this month will address issues related to cholesterol.

Pantothenic acid, also known as vitamin B5, is an essential nutrient and water-soluble vitamin. Pantothenic acid is found in many foods, including meats, nuts, whole grains and vegetables such as avocados and broccoli. Pantothenic acid is converted in the body into a related compound called pantethine, which is more biologically active.

A recent study by a multi-national research team looked at using pantethine in a group of subjects who were considered low to moderate risk for cardiovascular disease. This group would ordinarily be considered candidates for statin medications to lower their cholesterol.

This was a randomized placebo controlled trial. Both the placebo group and the pantethine treatment group started the study with four weeks of dietary therapies. After four weeks, patients were placed at random into either a placebo group or a pantethine treated group. Labs were checked at the start of the study, then at weeks 2, 4, 8, 12, and finally at week 16, at which time the study was concluded.

Participants in the pantethine group received 600 mg/day from week 1 through week 8, and then 900 mg/day from week 9 to week 16. Subjects received the pantethine in the form of a pharmaceutical grade proprietary product.

At conclusion, the participants who received pantethine had a 6% decrease in total cholesterol and a 11% drop in LDL, compared to baseline levels. In addition, hs-crp an inflammatory marker dropped over the 16 week study period. In general, there were few significant side effects with the pantethine therapy.

This study demonstrates that the commonly available substance pantethine present in a variety of food sources or as by supplement such as used in this study was helpful in lowering cholesterol and appears to be well tolerated.

(Source- Vascular Health and Risk Management 2014:10)

This blog is a review of medical and scientific literature, and should only be used for informational purposes. It does not constitute medical or health advice, nor does it create a physician-patient relationship with anyone. Discuss any health concerns with your personal physician.

Run For Your Life

Running1

As the Rio Olympics wind down, track and field events have entered center stage. Therefore today’s post will look at the relationship between running and cardiovascular risk.

Research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology shows the health benefits of running, even at slow speeds and at short distances, on cardiovascular health and mortality.

The study looked at over 55,000 adults, both men and women, ages 18 to 100 years, with an average age of 44 years. The amount of exercise in the study group was assessed by a medical history questionnaire, with a mean follow-up period of 15 years.

Runners were found to have lower risk of mortality including cardiovascular mortality compared to non-runners. Runners had 30% lower risk for all-cause mortality, and 45% lower risk for cardiovascular mortality.

Interestingly, even modest amounts of running such as 5-10 minutes/day and at slow speeds (greater than 10 minutes/mile) yielded significant mortality benefits. Not surprisingly, for those runners who were persistent in their efforts there was a stronger association with reduced mortality.

Given these health benefits, perhaps you may consider adding some running or jogging to your exercise routine.

Source- Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Vol. 64, No. 5, 2014)

“Running! If there’s any activity happier, more exhilarating, more nourishing to the imagination, I can’t think of what it might be. In running the mind flees with the body, the mysterious efflorescence of language seems to pulse in the brain, in rhythm with our feet and the swinging of our arms.”          Joyce Carol Oates

This blog is a review of medical and scientific literature, and should only be used for informational purposes. It does not constitute medical or health advice, nor does it create a physician-patient relationship with anyone. Discuss any health concerns with your personal physician.