by Carole Jackson, Bottom Line Health

An astonishing number of people now have food allergies — not. A number of recent studies have found that most people who believe they have food allergies actually don’t — one small study puts that figure as high as 90%! This state of affairs led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, to release new guidelines to provide a uniform strategy for diagnosing and managing food allergies. I spoke with Matthew Fenton, PhD, chief of the asthma and allergy branch of NIAID, to find out more…

What’s Your Real Problem?

The new guidelines, which you can see on The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Web site at www.JACIOnline.org/article/S0091-6749(10)01566-6/fulltext, define a food allergy as “an adverse health effect arising from a specific immune response that occurs reproducibly on exposure to a given food.” Or, in easier-to-digest language, most food allergies result from a mistaken response by the immune system, which identifies something you eat as a threat and then creates antibodies to attack it and fight it off. These antibodies usually are what create the allergy symptoms. But, Dr. Fenton told me, what many (if not most) people call food “allergies” are actually more accurately described as “intolerances,” especially in the case of lactose, food dyes and chemicals such as MSG. (You may recall that we recently covered a similar phenomenon as it relates to fructose in the March 7, 2011, issue of Daily Health News.)

What’s the difference? Intolerances are not caused by the immune system, and they tend to be complex reactions (for instance, causing stomach upset and/or headaches) that worsen as you eat more and more of the food. Allergies, on the other hand, cause symptoms such as redness, itching, tightness in the throat, shortness of breath or anaphylactic shock. Both are troublesome, but it’s important to identify whether your reaction is an allergy or intolerance because the two have different consequences — allergies are dangerous while intolerances are merely terribly unpleasant. And they require different treatments.

What It All Means

If you suspect that you have a food allergy — or if you now suspect that you don’t have a food allergy, but rather an intolerance — discuss your concern with your doctor. A detailed medical history and perhaps a skin prick test and/or blood antibody test will help distinguish between intolerance and allergy.

Important! Tests are done on extracts, which are purified, as opposed to foods, which often contain multiple ingredients. Therefore, a negative result to a test using an extract is not really definitive. It is important to be aware that in the real world, foods may contain other ingredients that you may or may not know they contain. Meanwhile, a positive result does not necessarily confirm an allergy. It means that you have a sensitization to a food that could be either an allergy or an intolerance.

The True Test

For these reasons, Dr. Fenton suggests that people who believe they have food allergies should get confirmation by having a tightly controlled oral challenge performed by an allergist in a setting where he/she has access to medications and equipment to treat severe reactions. You will be instructed to avoid the suspected food for a certain length of time (usually an hour or two) before your appointment. Then, while you are in the doctor’s office, you will consume gradually increasing amounts of the food. Your doctor will monitor your reaction to determine whether you have an allergy or intolerance and, of course, will be able to provide appropriate treatment if your reaction veers into dangerous territory. Since there are no FDA-approved treatments for food allergy at present, you will then have to avoid the food that you are allergic to.

It’s good news to learn that foods you are intolerant of — but not allergic to — aren’t truly dangerous to your health but, of course, an intolerance produces unpleasant symptoms itself, so it makes sense to follow the very same advice — eat something else.

Source(s):

Matthew J. Fenton, PhD, division of allergy, immunology and transplantation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda.

by Carole Jackson, Bottom Line Health

When you fly these days, the airlines ply you with salty snacks — pretzels, munchy mix, peanuts and chips. For nervous fliers, these salty snacks may be just what you need to feel less anxious and a little more relaxed. A new study reported in the April 6, 2011 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience has found that at least in rats, a temporary rise in sodium levels can directly reduce stress. Researchers at the University of Cincinnati found that when they gave rats large doses of sodium and then exposed them to stressful situations, the rats secreted fewer stress hormones and their heart rate and blood pressure did not go up as much as in rats in the control group, where sodium levels remained “normal.” The rats that were given sodium also recovered from those stressful situations more quickly, settling back into normal blood pressure and heart rates.

Salt helps stress? Wait a minute — lots of people consider salt the enemy! This study struck me as so unusual that I immediately called its lead author, Eric Krause, PhD, in the university’s department of psychiatry and behavioral neuroscience to find out more about it. He explained that a temporary rise in sodium causes difficulty in regulating the body’s fluid balance, and this triggers two important shifts as the body goes into action to rebalance that fluid. First, the excess salt inhibits the action of the hormone angiotensin II, which plays a role in regulating blood pressure and is also a “stress hormone” that increases anxiety and drives the fight-or-flight response. Second, the fluid dysregulation prompts the release of the calming hormone oxytocin. So now, with sodium levels up, you have the stress hormone blunted — and with the soothing hormone on the rise, you have a group of much calmer rats.

Behind the Salt

Dr. Krause notes that certain kinds of drugs that many people take to treat high blood pressure called angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) — including losartan (Cozaar) and valsartan (Diovan), among others — also have a calming effect because they inhibit the action of angiotensin II. Indeed, Dr. Krause said, there is good evidence from a number of studies that they provide the secondary benefit of stress relief.

As for eating pretzels and other salty snacks during anxious times, remember that a diet of salty foods is never good for health. And when I asked Dr. Krause if he would advise having a salty snack for comfort in times of stress, he responded frankly, “I work with animals, not humans. It may be that having a salty snack when stressed would provide a bit of relief.” But he added that salty food should definitely not be considered a treatment for anxiety — on balance, it’s just not good for us.

Source(s):

Eric Krause, PhD, research assistant professor, division of basic science, department of psychiatry and behavioral neuroscience, University of Cincinnati.

by Carole Jackson, Bottom Line Health

One of my coworkers has a secret stash in her bottom desk drawer. Where the characters in Mad Men keep bottles of Scotch, she hoards piles of chocolate bars, truffles and kisses that would make Willy Wonka envious. As we all happily know by now, numerous studies vindicate my friend’s sweet tooth — trial after trial confirms that healthful components in chocolate and cocoa can be helpful for everything from heart disease to brain function (assuming that we don’t overindulge, of course).

So, here’s the latest good news for my coworker and all you chocoholics — now researchers are finding that chocolate can help sharpen your eyes… and even cure a cough!

Sharpen Your Eyes and Mind

In a small study at the University of Reading in the UK reported in the June 2011 issue of Physiology & Behavior, dark chocolate beat white chocolate (used as a control) in tests of vision and memory and reaction time tasks. Researchers had 30 volunteers aged 18 to 25 consume two different candy bars — a 35-gram (about 1.25 ounces) commercially available dark chocolate bar containing 773 milligrams of cocoa flavonols and a 35-gram white chocolate bar with no flavonols on separate occasions one week apart. Afterward, investigators tested volunteers on tasks measuring vision, memory and reaction time.

When the volunteers ate the dark chocolate they experienced 17% enhanced visual sensitivity (the ability to see in difficult conditions) for up to two-and-one-half hours, as compared with when they ate the white chocolate.

In cognitive tests, compared with white chocolate, dark chocolate stepped up participants’ memory and reaction times — they were able to correctly identify more of a number of objects that had been switched from their original places.

Researchers speculate that cocoa flavonols achieve these effects by increasing blood and oxygen flow. Since the enhanced performance was just among those who ate dark chocolate and not white chocolate, researchers can rule out the “sugar buzz” as being the reason for improved performance.

Chocolate: The New Cough Medicine

What else can chocolate do for us? Produce a more effective cough medicine? Why not, say scientists at Imperial College London, who determined that theobromine — a key ingredient in chocolate — was one-third more successful in quieting coughs than the powerful narcotic codeine.

About the research: On three different occasions, investigators gave 10 healthy volunteers theobromine, codeine or a placebo. Next they exposed them to capsaicin, the spicy compound in red pepper that can make some people cough. Higher amounts of capsaicin (about one-third more) were required to produce coughs in the theobromine group, and theobromine proved more effective than a typical dose of codeine as a cough suppressant.

Theobromine directly affects the vagus nerve, which is responsible for coughs, and unlike codeine it does not cause drowsiness. Codeine is an opiate — so a cocoa-based cough remedy would be much safer for anyone driving, using machinery and so on. A theobromine-based drug is in clinical trials in the UK.

Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth… But in Moderation, Please!

Alice H. Lichtenstein, DSc, a professor of nutrition science and policy at Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition, finds chocolate research intriguing and believes it warrants further investigation. She says that if you enjoy chocolate, go ahead and eat it in moderation — but it should not be your only rich source of flavonols.

Dr. Lichtenstein’s recommendation: Every day, consume a wide range of flavonol-rich foods and beverages, such as blueberries, cranberries, pomegranates, grapes, grape juice, red wine, green tea… and if you like, a little chocolate.

Source(s):

Alice H. Lichtenstein, DSc, Stanley N. Gershoff Professor of Nutrition Science and Policy, Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, director and senior scientist, Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Center on Aging Professor of Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston.

by Carole Jackson, Bottom Line Health

So you still don’t meditate? Join the club — it’s a big one. But there’s also a compelling new reason for all of us to finally do it: There is now scientific proof that meditating changes the brain in ways that allow people to feel better about their lives.

How great is that?

The new research found that meditation is not only pleasant and stress-reducing, but that it actually brings lasting physiological changes that are health-enhancing — for example, giving people an improved sense of self and lower levels of anxiety.

Mind-Expanding Benefits

If you’re thinking “yes, well, we already knew that about meditation,” let me explain that actually, we didn’t. It’s true that there have been many reports on why meditating is thought to be healthful, but this particular study is new and very newsworthy because it shows how the brain literally expands with meditation. The research team, led by scientists from Harvard’s Massachusetts General Hospital, designed its research to be very clear on cause and effect, using brain imaging technology to measure how the brains of people who meditated changed over the eight-week study period. They found that a particular form of meditation known as mindfulness meditation altered gray matter in several parts of the brain. The study was reported in the January 30, 2011, issue of Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging.

I spoke with study senior author Sara Lazar, PhD, an associate research scientist at the Massachusetts General Hospital Psychiatric Neuroimaging Research Program, who talked more about how meditation changes your brain.

Sixteen volunteers open to trying meditation for stress reduction participated in an eight-week program of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Participants met weekly for two and a half hours to practice meditation exercises aimed at improving well-being, reducing stress and increasing mindfulness. (Mindfulness is defined as being completely aware of the present moment and taking a nonjudgmental approach to your feelings and thoughts.) The participants were also given audio recordings with 45-minute guided mindfulness exercises that they were asked to do at home — they reported spending an average of 27 minutes a day on the exercises. Results: Compared with self-reports recorded prior to the study, the participants indicated significant improvements in mindfulness on a questionnaire that they completed at the end of the study. That’s consistent with earlier research, but the most significant aspect of this study was that researchers also did MRI scans of participants’ brains before and after the program… and these scans were the first to show structural changes in the brain. In particular, meditation produced beneficial changes in those areas associated with memory, sense of self, empathy and stress. None of these changes were seen in the MRI images of a control group of nonmeditators taken at similar intervals.

Specifically, the researchers found that compared with people in the control group, the meditators had increased brain volume and/or density in several areas that are beneficial to health and mental function, including the hippocampus, an area important for learning and memory… the temporal-parietal junction (TPJ), which is associated with compassion and empathy… and the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), an area responsible for sense of self and introspection. “Other researchers have found changes in learning and memory, attention and compassion as a result of meditation, so these changes in the brain areas may explain their findings,” says Dr. Lazar.

The researchers also found that, consistent with prior studies, the practice of meditation led to decreased gray matter density in the amygdala, a brain area that plays an important role in fear, anxiety and stress — changes that correlate with participant-reported reductions in stress at the completion of the study. “Many studies have documented that mindfulness meditation is effective for reducing stress,” Dr. Lazar noted. “But this study shows what underlies the improvement.”

How They Did It

The study participants engaged in three different types of mindfulness training exercises…

• Sitting meditation. They were taught to become highly aware of the sensation of breathing and then to expand that to include awareness of sights, sounds, tastes and other body sensations as well as thoughts and emotions. Unlike other forms of meditation, mindfulness meditation does not involve repeatedly saying something out loud, such as a mantra or affirmation.

• Mindful yoga. This type of yoga consists of gentle stretching exercises and slow movements, always coordinated with the breath. Dr. Lazar told me that this type of yoga emphasizes the moment-to-moment experience and a “nonharming” attitude toward the body that pays attention to any bodily limitations.

• Guided body scans. In this exercise, your attention is guided sequentially through your entire body while you observe with nonjudgmental awareness the sensations in each region. Ultimately, you’ll have an awareness of your body as a complete whole.

How You Can Do It

 This particular study involved people who reported themselves as being under stress but, said Dr. Lazar, other research has shown that anyone can benefit from meditation.

Eight-week mindfulness meditation training, developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, is taught in numerous clinics around the country. Participants receive stress-reduction education and recordings of guided meditation to practice at home. The cost varies, typically ranging from $200 to $525 for the course. You can find the classes closest to where you live by going to http://www.umassmed.edu/cfm/home/index.aspx (click on “The Stress Reduction Program,” then “Find MBSR Programs Worldwide” at the bottom of the page).

Meditation is a low-cost, easy and effective way to improve your health and better your life, and there appears to be absolutely no downside to it — what are you waiting for?

 Source(s):

Sara Lazar, PhD, instructor in psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, associate research scientist, Psychiatric Neuroimaging Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.

by Carole Jackson, Bottom Line Health

Sitting down with a nice cup of hot tea feels positively virtuous these days. Every time we glance up at the evening news, there’s been another scientist telling us how good tea is for our health — it’s those antioxidants! But now here comes another study with a decidedly different take — tea can be dangerous… and the danger is cancer.

Tea? Cancer? Really? The study being reported found that drinking hot tea seems to be the reason people in a certain area of northern Iran have one of the world’s highest rates of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, an often deadly form of the disease. For the study, published in the online edition of BMJ (formerly the British Medical Journal), researchers interviewed 300 people with esophageal cancer and 571 of their healthy neighbors. All had similar backgrounds and habits — including regular tea drinking. The difference? Compared with those who drank their tea warm or lukewarm, people who drank their tea “very hot” were eight times as likely to develop cancer, and those who drank it “hot” were twice as likely. In other words, it seemed that the culprit might not be the tea — but the temperature. Well, I thought, maybe there’s hope yet for us tea drinkers.

The Clearest Risk Factor

I called the study author, Farhad Islami, MD, PhD, at the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France, to learn more. He let me know that this particular group of Iranians were at otherwise low risk for esophageal squamous cell cancer — very few smoked and most did not drink alcohol, two very significant risk factors for that disease. The study showed that tea drinking was a common habit among all subpopulations in the region (a total of 48,500 people) and that approximately 25% of the people there drink their tea at the hottest level — about 149°F or higher. This was verified later when researchers actually measured the temperature. (“Hot” was considered to be 149°F to 158°F… and “very hot,” above 158°F.) Although researchers aren’t sure why this is a problem, they believe that the heat may trigger inflammatory processes that stimulate potentially carcinogenic compounds in the esophageal mucous membranes. Perhaps even more likely, Dr. Islami says, is the fact that high heat can damage the esophageal lining, making it less able to protect itself against carcinogens coming in from the outside world.

Okay Then, What About Coffee?

America, of course, is a land of coffee drinkers, many of whom like their brew piping hot. Based on what the tea study tells us, is there reason to worry about coffee, too? Dr. Islami says it is important to note that the type of esophageal cancer most common in the West — adenocarcinoma of the esophagus — is not the same as squamous cell carcinoma, which is the most common type of esophageal cancer in Iran and worldwide. Furthermore, while a few reports suggest that other hot beverages, including coffee, might increase esophageal cancer risk, there is little research on hot coffee specifically. So we do need more studies. In the meantime, Dr. Islami speaks to common sense. “If the issue is damage to the esophageal lining, it would be safer if people do not drink very hot coffee or tea,” he says. It takes only a few minutes or so to allow your hot beverage of choice — coffee or tea — to cool to 140°F and into the safety zone.

 Source(s):

Farhad Islami, MD, PhD, research fellow, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France.

by Carole Jackson, Bottom Line Health

What if I told you that in less time than you think, you can do something incredibly simple that will extend your life?

We think our DNA is set for life, but it’s not. It shrinks over time and makes us age. Now researchers at the University of California at San Francisco believe that you actually can change and improve your DNA, which could, in turn, extend your life! Though they don’t fully understand the mechanism, they know that tiny pieces of DNA called telomeres protect us by helping to keep chromosomes intact. Stress causes those oh-so-important telomeres to shorten, and the shorter they become, the more quickly our cells age and the more susceptible we are to everything from cancer to heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, osteoporosis — and early mortality. How’s that for a list to avoid?

I got in touch with the lead author of the study, Eli Puterman, PhD, a health psychologist at the University of California at San Francisco, and he confirmed that yes, there is increasing evidence that stress is shrinking our DNA, which in turn shortens our lives. In fact, his recent study looked at 63 postmenopausal women, some of whom were carrying significant psychological burdens as the result of having to care for parents or spouses with dementia. But here’s the key: The women were divided into two groups — those who exercised daily and those who didn’t.

Even those in the study who exercised for as little as 42 minutes over three days were protected from the effects of stress on the length of telomeres in their cells. “Those 42 minutes of vigorous exercise appear to be a critical amount for protection,” researchers reported. The study was published in the May 26, 2010, issue of PLoS ONE, a peer-reviewed publication of the Public Library of Science.

When I asked Dr. Puterman for his definition of vigorous exercise, he said, “It’s usually defined as activity that causes you to breathe hard and fast and sweat while your heart rate rises. While you’re performing vigorous exercise, you won’t be able to speak more than a few words without pausing for breath.”

OUTSMARTING STRESS

Stress abounds these days. As the economy limps along, grown kids, unemployed or underemployed, have moved back in with parents… adults find themselves taking care of their children and their ailing parents at the same time… wars are multiplying. Worry seems to be everywhere. But what Dr. Puterman is telling us is that by getting up on our feet for less than one hour and a half a week and getting our bodies moving at a fairly good pace, we’ll have gone a long way toward relieving the harm that all that worry does to our health.

Does vigorous exercise have the same effect on men and on younger people of either gender? It almost certainly does, Dr. Puterman told me, adding that this will be the subject of further studies. For one thing, he said, researchers want to find out whether exercising helps young adults build up extra amounts of the enzyme telomerase that rebuilds and lengthens telomeres so that it could be stored by the body and used in the future.

My advice: While researchers continue their studies, lace up your sneakers, grab a windbreaker, get yourself moving — and protect that DNA!

 Source(s):

Eli Puterman, PhD, health psychologist and postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Health and Community of the Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco.

by Carole Jackson, Bottom Line Health

Is your home a shoe-free zone? More to the point, should it be?

I’ve been contemplating this issue, in part because we’re up to our ankles in the muddy season here on the East Coast (made all the worse by my daughters in their soccer cleats). I can’t help but wonder what besides mud comes in on their cleats, or for that matter, our everyday shoes. After all, whatever the time of year, the streets are a virtual dumping ground for animal feces, dropped and decaying foods and possibly pathogens in… ahem… various bodily fluids.

Indoor Shoes

I started asking people about shoes in their homes and quickly discovered that many people have rules. For instance, I spoke with an acupuncturist who endorsed keeping shoes on because, he says walking on cold floors is bad for the muscles. Not so, said another acupuncturist who is also a podiatrist — he assured me that cold floors won’t hurt you but does advise wearing shoes or slippers to keep feet comfortable and protected, since he sees an awful lot of needless foot injuries. And speaking of that, another vote in favor of footwear came from a restaurant-owning friend — she told me that the very first rule for chefs-in-training is to keep shoes on when preparing food. It makes sense — if you happen to drop the knife when slicing and dicing in bare feet, the damage to your toes could be permanent.

Sock It to Us…

I’ll give you the dirt on wearing outdoor shoes inside in just a minute — but let me first note that whatever you wear or don’t wear on your feet inside the house, put safety first. Socks may protect your feet from dirt — at least partially — but they can be slippery, too… so slippers may be the best solution. Look for a pair with soles that will grip the floor.

To get the inside story on the filth on shoes, I called microbiologist Philip M. Tierno, Jr., PhD, author of The Secret Life of Germs and director of clinical microbiology and immunology at New York University Langone Medical Center. Dr. Tierno says absolutely the ideal is to take your shoes off at the door. “The street is a repository for all sorts of really disgusting things,” he says, “and when you step in them while walking, your shoes accumulate those things… and bring them into your home.”

Though he said this issue hasn’t been studied, Dr. Tierno points out (rather poetically) that the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. For example, say you step on sputum from someone who has the flu — do you have any doubt that your shoes could then transfer the pathogens to your rug where you or your child later sits? That shoe debris probably won’t kill you, says Dr. Tierno, but it can definitely make you sick.

Sanitizing Measures

Dr. Tierno acknowledges that in this country, guests generally expect to keep their shoes on. He has advice on how to be sure your house stays sanitary in spite of visiting soles…

• Hard floors with area rugs are preferable. These are easier to clean than wall-to-wall carpeting — another problem is that the padding under wall-to-wall becomes a repository for numerous germs, bacteria and more that seeps through over time.

• If your home is carpeted and outside shoes are worn inside, sanitize the carpeting weekly with an alcohol-based spray (Lysol works well) and vacuum with a strong machine equipped with a HEPA filter to keep what’s sucked up from flying into the air. (This applies to area rugs as well.)

• Clean floors regularly with a disinfectant. Dr. Tierno believes that conventional cleaning products are most effective, but if you use only “green” products, be sure that the one you buy contains thymol, a component of thyme oil, the only green ingredient strong enough to do the job, he said. Products that contain thymol include the brands Seventh Generation and Benefect.

• Clean up food and drink spills immediately to prevent decay and having resulting germs or bacteria tracked into other areas of the home.

Dr. Tierno reminds us to always wash hands after sitting on the floor or rug, especially before eating, drinking or touching your face. And, while not advocating that we all turn into “clean freaks,” he added one more bit of advice that I will be sharing with my family: That famous “five-second” rule is a no-no — if food falls on the floor even for just a second or two, it belongs in the trash, not in your mouth. You don’t know what shoe carrying what germs has walked on that spot!

Source(s):

Philip M. Tierno, Jr., PhD, author of The Secret Life of Germs (Atria) and director, clinical microbiology and immunology at New York University Langone Medical Center, New York City.

by Carole Jackson, Bottom Line Health

Are you a person who likes to roll out of bed and hit the gym… or the pool, the track or the tennis court — or do you prefer an afternoon or evening workout? Exercise however you like, but according to a new study, you might want to put some planning into when you work out. Belgian researchers found that exercising before eating — on an empty stomach, something most people have only first thing in the morning or late afternoon — has several beneficial effects, including preventing weight gain and warding off a truly serious disease.

An Unusual Study — They Ate Junk Food

In the study, 27 healthy young men ate a horrible diet high in sugar, fat and calories — chosen because it was just about guaranteed to create both weight gain and a reduction in the body’s ability to process blood sugar effectively.

The Belgian men were divided into three groups. The control group had to eat the awful diet and avoid exercising. Men in the second and third groups — in addition to eating the same unhealthful diet — both exercised, performing the same workout. But the second group did it soon after breakfast and the third group did it before breakfast, exercising on an empty stomach.

How Did That Work For Them?

The results were surprising and dramatic. As one might expect, the control group (the one that simply pigged out) gained a lot of weight and also saw their ability to control blood sugar (insulin sensitivity) plunge. The “exercise after eating” group also gained weight, but not nearly as much as the control group. Their insulin sensitivity also went down, just as it did in the control group.

But the “exercise before eating” group was a whole different story. Despite eating the terrible diet, this group did not gain weight… not only that, their insulin sensitivity didn’t fall, so even their bad diet did not make them insulin resistant. A breakthrough finding? You bet. As the authors said, “This study for the first time shows that fasted (empty stomach) training is more potent than ‘fed training’ to facilitate adaptations in muscle and to improve glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity… ”

So Don’t Eat First?

Should you forgo eating before working out? Not necessarily — it depends on your goals. I consulted exercise physiologist Liz Neporent, MS, CSCS, who serves emeritus on the executive board of the American Council on Exercise and is author of Fitness for Dummies. She said that people whose interest is in heightening their performance — who are, for instance, training for an upcoming event — might do better to eat first, since they’ll need energy to push themselves harder and harder. But, she added, if it’s weight loss or maintaining general fitness that you are after, “evidence does seem to be trending toward not eating before working out.” The benefit of the before-breakfast interval is that most of the food consumed the day before is well through the small intestine and thus the inflow of nutrients is at its ebb, but you can also benefit by being sure to work out as long after eating as possible — say, just before lunch or just before dinner.

One caveat — if you find that exercising on an empty stomach makes you feel dizzy or faint, this may not be a good approach for a vigorous workout. You might find that endurance training, where you focus on low-stress repetitive actions such as mild-to-moderate spinning, can produce benefit without driving blood sugar too low. Or you may need to have a small, healthful snack that includes protein before you do any exercising. While you won’t get the same benefits as exercising on an empty stomach, the fact that you’re exercising is still a good thing!

Source(s):

Liz Neporent, MS, CSCS, exercise physiologist based in New York City and author of Fitness for Dummies (Wiley) and Weight Training for Dummies (Wiley). She is a contributor to ABC National News and serves emeritus on the executive board of the American Council on Exercise.

by Carole Jackson, Bottom Line Health

It’s certainly true that we live in a youth-obsessed culture, but the desire to stave off aging is long-standing and universal. Remember Ponce de Leon’s search for the Fountain of Youth? Nowadays there are lots of products and programs aimed at holding back the years — but they’re not only unproven and expensive, many are also just plain unsafe. And, of course, we’ve been writing about strategies for longevity over the years — but it isn’t often that something truly new and effective comes along… until now.

You may recall that I recently interviewed Michael Aziz, MD, an internist who practices in New York City and author of The Perfect 10 Diet. Dr. Aziz’s book also provides helpful information on how to delay aging and I thought that information was worthy of its own article. It isn’t an approach that you’ve seen before — and some of it will surely surprise you.

According to Dr. Aziz, aging degrades our bodies in several different ways:

• The “rusting” of our bodies through oxidation. While oxygen is vital to life, it’s also oxidation in the body that produces free radicals — molecules that damage, disrupt and destroy nearby cells. Allowed to continue unchecked, free radicals eventually accumulate and inflict damage on the body to the point that many healthy cells can no longer survive properly and aging takes over. As we age, our bodies tend to lose the ability to resist oxidative challenges due to improper diet (sugar, refined vegetable oil used in fast foods), nutrient absorption issues, accumulated stress and other causes such as toxins and air pollution.

• Suboptimal hormone levels. Normal aging brings a steep decline in certain hormones, the ones that help maintain energy, skin elasticity, recovery from injury — both physical and biochemical — and resistance to disease and infection. These include sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone) and human growth hormone (HGH). Meanwhile cortisol, the hormone associated with stress, is the only hormone that naturally rises with age — which is especially a problem for people whose cortisol levels have been chronically elevated due to ongoing stress. Such hormonal changes accelerate the aging process.

• Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs). AGEs result when sugars bind (glycate) to proteins when you cook at high temperatures without using water, such as when you grill meat. Evidence is rapidly building that AGEs are implicated in wrinkles and, more importantly, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis and even Alzheimer’s disease.

The Doctor’s Plan for a Natural Antiaging Program

Dr. Aziz says that there are many lifestyle choices you can make that will diminish the impact of these three aging factors in your body…

• Promote HGH production. HGH stimulates new tissue growth. It is produced when tissue is replaced due to normal recycling and response to injury. There has been some controversy around HGH supplementation, relating to a possible link to fast-growing cancer cells. But Dr. Aziz says that naturally produced HGH actually serves as a buffer against cancer by strengthening the immune system and increasing the size of the thymus gland, which ordinarily shrinks with age. Eating frequently suppresses HGH secretion. Dr. Aziz advocates three square meals a day, and limiting snacks to the days you work out. Since HGH also has fat-burning properties, it is no wonder that it is hard for overweight people to lose weight. Excess body fat lowers HGH — so lose weight! Another safe and easy way to bring up your HGH levels naturally without controversial HGH injections is an occasional fast. Dr. Aziz advises having a 24-hour vegetable-juice fast every two to three weeks, drinking just tomato juice or fresh vegetable juice (low-salt if you have a blood pressure problem). Fasting and reducing calories has been shown to promote longevity in insects… new research now shows it can do the same in mammals.

• Sleep is important, too. The body produces HGH up until one or two in the morning, so if you tend to burn the midnight oil it’s best to go to bed a bit earlier to increase the length of time your body produces HGH.

• Lift weights. Weight-training increases muscle mass and also ups HGH production — even if you train with only light weights.

• Make protein at least 20% of your daily calorie intake. The body uses protein to manufacture hormones, so it is vital to consume it in sufficient quantity. Dr. Aziz thinks that the best proteins to consume are animal-based, as they are rich in vitamin B-12, which keeps your memory sharp, among other benefits. Many people turn to soy for a large portion of their protein, but too much soy reduces testosterone in men and raises estrogen in women, which is not good for natural hormone balance. Note: It’s best to eat your meat rare to medium rare (per FDA guidelines, rare is an internal temperature of 145°F for steaks and roasts… 160°F for ground beef) and cook protein in ways that decrease AGEs production. (For more on AGEs, see Daily Health News, April 6, 2010 “Cooking the Health Out of Your Food?”.)

• Do not follow a vegetarian diet. Dr. Aziz cautions against a vegetarian diet because it becomes challenging to eat enough protein to serve hormones effectively — and in fact, vegetarian men’s testosterone levels tend to be 15% lower than normal. Advocates of vegetarian diets overlook the negative effect on hormones such as thyroid and HGH. Vegetable protein sources also lack vitamin B-12.

• Sharply curtail eating sugar in all its forms. This includes not only refined sugar, but also starchy carbohydrates, such as potatoes and pasta. Sugar is harmful because it promotes oxidation… triggers the release of insulin, thus raising cortisol (both are potentially aging hormones) and also because AGEs need sugar to develop. Even natural fructose in fruits can be a problem in large amounts. The human body can effectively metabolize only 15 grams of fructose a day — about two pieces of fruit.

• Avoid refined vegetable oils. Corn oil, soy oil and all other refined vegetable oils are chemically processed using high heat, which creates a bevy of free radicals leading to oxidation in the body. Avoid fried foods for the same reason. Dr. Aziz’s favorite oil: Macademia oil, as it has a high burning point. (For information on how to choose healthy oils, see Daily Health News, March 15, 2010 “Unsavory Truth About Vegetable Oils”.)

• Amp up your sex life. For men, according to Dr. Aziz, having frequent sex increases sex hormone levels, especially testosterone. Research from England shows that men who have two or more orgasms a week are more likely to live seven or eight years longer! Is it a link between testosterone levels and longevity? Absolutely, says Dr. Aziz. Men with low testosterone have a 33% chance of higher mortality according to several research studies. And let’s not forget that people who have sex frequently are more relaxed and feel livelier and happier.

Other Antiaging Reminders

Must we mention smoking? For those few who continue to puff, you should know that smoking directly accelerates aging in numerous ways.

Should we take supplements? Yes, says Dr. Aziz, starting with a good multivitamin supplement via an all-natural whole-food pill that has no artificial ingredients (he likes the brand Juice Plus). Also, for much-needed youth-giving omega-3s, he prefers krill oil to fish oil because it is more potent. As a last recommendation, after the long cold winter, Dr. Aziz says to throw open your windows to let in the fresh air. The pollution in your home, from various chemicals, pesticides, cleaning products and the like, could be worse than what lurks outside. Fill your lungs with oxygen, and enjoy your newfound sense of youthful well-being.

 Source(s):

Michael Aziz, MD, is a board-certified internist at Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City. He practices in New York City and is author of The Perfect 10 Diet (Cumberland House).

Misdiagnosed Depression and Alzheimer’s

by Carole Jackson, Bottom Line Health

It may seem like an extreme form of wishful thinking to suggest that symptoms believed to signal the onset of Alzheimer’s disease could instead be due to a lack of one particular vitamin — and yet studies over the years have been telling us just that. Some people 50 and older who are suffering from memory problems, confusion, irritability, depression and/or paranoia could see those symptoms dramatically diminish simply by taking vitamin B-12.

Frighteningly, recent research shows that up to 30% of adults may be B-12 deficient — making them vulnerable to misdiagnosis of Alzheimer’s. I spoke to Irwin Rosenberg, MD, senior scientist and director of the Nutrition and Neurocognition Laboratory at Tufts University in Boston, about who is at risk and how to protect yourself. He told me that for years, doctors had believed that B-12 deficiency showed itself most significantly as the cause of anemia (pernicious anemia), but they now realize the lack of B-12 may even more dramatically be causing neurological symptoms, some of which are similar to Alzheimer’s.

Others at Risk…

Age is not the only risk factor for having a B-12 deficiency — other at-risk groups include vegetarians (dietary B-12 comes predominantly from meat and dairy products) and people who have celiac disease, Crohn’s disease or other nutrient malabsorption problems. Evidence accumulating over the past few decades shows that regular use of certain medications also can contribute to vitamin B-12 deficiency. These include antacids, in particular proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) such as esomeprazole (Nexium), lansoprazole (Prevacid) and many others which reduce stomach acid levels, making it difficult for B-12 to be fully absorbed. The diabetes drug metformin (Glucophage) also can reduce B-12 levels.

Measuring Deficiency

A common symptom of vitamin B-12 deficiency is neuropathy, a tingly and prickly sensation, sometimes felt in the hands and feet and occasionally in the arms and legs as well. Dr. Rosenberg told me that people with B-12 deficiency also tend to have problems maintaining proper gait and balance. Dr. Rosenberg recommends testing B-12 levels for a few groups of people, including those on PPIs for more than a few months… people having memory problems and/or often feeling confused — and this can include people of any age… those with neuropathy in the feet and/or legs… and those who have unexplained anemia.

As mentioned above, deficiencies of B-12 in older adults are nearly always a direct result of too little stomach acid, which is essential for absorption of B-12. This explains why powerful antacids trigger B-12 deficiency. Another problem is that sometimes, especially in older people, the stomach isn’t making enough of a protein called intrinsic factor (IF) that is needed to break down B-12 effectively. There is no way to increase IF, says Dr. Rosenberg, and so the solution is to administer B-12 in large enough quantities to override the difficulty with absorption. Traditionally this has been done with injections of B-12, but more recently doctors have found that oral supplementation with high amounts of B-12 that dissolves under the tongue also is successful and certainly easier than regular injections. Dr. Rosenberg adds that there is no reason to be concerned about “balancing” B vitamins as was once thought — B-12 is water soluble and the body can excrete what it doesn’t need.

What You Can Do

Adults can easily get the recommended daily amount of 2.4 micrograms (mcg) of B-12 from dietary sources, which includes all animal products. For example, just three ounces of steamed clams supplies 34.2 mcg and three ounces of salmon provides the necessary 2.4 mcg. However, this amount will not address the problems associated with aging and medications. Once again, the issue goes back to absorption — if you don’t have enough stomach acid and/or IF to use the B-12 you ingest, it is almost irrelevant how much animal protein you eat. This is why the Institute of Medicine says that for people over age 50 and for vegetarians, the best way to ensure meeting your body’s B-12 needs is to take a supplement or seek out foods fortified with it. Reason: The body can more easily absorb the form of B-12 used for supplementation and fortification even in people who have low levels of stomach acid. Caution: B-12 tests are sometimes insufficiently sensitive, especially for vegans. If your test indicates levels are fine in spite of symptoms, Dr. Rosenberg recommends having your doctor order a different test that will evaluate whether your B-12 system is intact. There is no need to suffer from any kind of B-12 deficiency symptoms, let alone risk misdiagnosis of Alzheimer’s, when the solution is so close at hand!

 Source(s):

Irwin Rosenberg, MD, senior scientist and director of the Nutrition and Neurocognition Laboratory at Tufts University, Boston.