Dr. Steve Chaney

Do Omega-3s Lower Blood Pressure in Young, Healthy Adults?

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What Is The Omega-3 Index And Why Is It Important?

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney

 

Do omega-3s lower blood pressure in healthy adults?

omega-3s lower blood pressure young adultsThe literature on the potential health benefits of omega-3s is very confusing. That’s because a lot of bad studies have been published. Many of them never determined the omega-3 status of their subjects prior to omega-3 supplementation. Others relied on dietary recalls of fish consumption, which can be inaccurate.

Fortunately, a much more accurate measure of omega-3 status has been developed and validated in recent years. It’s called the Omega-3 Index. Simply put, the Omega-3 Index is the percentage of EPA and DHA compared to 26 other fatty acids found in cellular membranes. Using modern technology, it can be determined from a single finger prick blood sample. It is a very accurate reflection of omega-3 intake relative to other fats in the diet over the past few months. More importantly, it is a measure of the omega-3 content of your cell membranes, which is a direct measure of your omega-3 nutritional status.

A recent extension of the Framingham Heart Study reported that participants with an Omega-3 Index >6.8% had a 39% lower risk of cardiovascular disease than those with an Omega-3 Index <4.2% (WS Harris et al, Journal of Clinical Lipidology, 12: 718-724, 2018 ). Although more work needs to be done, an Omega-3 Index of 4% or less is generally considered indicative of high cardiovascular risk, while 8% or better is considered indicative of low cardiovascular risk. For reference, the average American has an Omega-3 Index in the 4-5% range. In Japan, where fish consumption is much higher and cardiovascular risk much lower, the Omega-3 Index is in the 9-11% range.

Previous studies have suggested that omega-3 fatty acids lower blood pressure to a modest extent. Thus, it is not surprising that more recent studies have shown an inverse correlation between Omega-3 Index and blood pressure. However, those studies have been done with older populations, many of whom had already developed high blood pressure.

From a public health point of view, it is much more interesting to investigate whether it might be possible to prevent high blood pressure in older adults by optimizing omega-3 intake in a young, healthy population, most of whom had not yet developed high blood pressure. Unfortunately, there were no studies looking at that population. The current study was designed to fill that gap.

 

How Was The Study Done?

omega-3s lower blood pressure young healthy adultsThe current study (M.G. Filipovic et al, Journal of Hypertension, 36: 1548-1554, 2018 ) was based on data collected from 2036 healthy adults, aged 25-41, from Liechtenstein. They were participants in the GAPP (Genetic and Phenotypic Determinants of Blood Pressure) study. Participants were excluded from the study if they had been diagnosed with high blood pressure and were taking medication to lower their blood pressure. They were also excluded if they had heart disease, chronic kidney disease, other severe illnesses, obesity, sleep apnea, or daily use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications.

Blood samples were collected at the time of their enrollment in the study and frozen for subsequent determination of Omega-3 Index. Blood pressure was also measured at their time of enrollment in two different ways. The first was a standard blood pressure measurement in a doctor’s office.

For the second measurement they were given a wearable blood pressure monitor that recorded their blood pressure over 24 hours every 15 minutes during the day and every 30 minutes while they were sleeping. This is considered more accurate than a resting blood pressure measurement in a doctor’s office because it records the variation in blood pressure, while you are sleeping, while you are exercising, and while you go about your everyday activities.

 

Do Omega-3s Lower Blood Pressure In Young, Healthy Adults?

omega-3s lower blood pressure young adults equipmentNone of the participants in the study had significantly elevated blood pressure. The mean systolic and diastolic office blood pressures were 120±13 and 78±9 respectively. The average Omega-3 Index in this population was 4.6%, which is similar to the average Omega-3 Index in the United States.

When they compared the group with the highest Omega-3 Index (average = 5.8%) with the group with the lowest Omega-3 Index (average = 4.6%):

  • The office measurement of systolic and diastolic blood pressure was decreased by 3.3% and 2.6% respectively
  • While those numbers appear small, the differences were highly significant.
  • The 24-hour blood pressure measurements showed a similar decrease.
  • Blood pressure measurements decreased linearly with increasing Omega-3 Index. [In studies of this kind, a linear dose-response is considered an internal validation of the differences observed between the group with the highest Omega-3 Index and the group with the lowest Omega-3 Index.]

The authors concluded: “A higher Omega-3 Index is associated with statistically significant, clinically relevant, lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure in normotensive, young and healthy individuals. Diets rich omega-3 fatty acids may be a strategy for primary prevention of hypertension.”

 

What Does This Mean For You?

omega-3s lower blood pressure young adults questionPerhaps I should first comment on the significance of the relatively small decrease in blood pressure observed in this study.

  • These were young adults, all of whom had normal or near normal blood pressure.
  • The difference in Omega-3 Index was rather small (5.8% to 4.6%). None of the participants in the study were at the 8% or above that is considered optimal.
  • Liechtenstein is a small country located between Switzerland and Spain. Fish consumption is low and omega-3 supplement consumption is rare.

Under these conditions, even a small, but statistically significant, decrease in blood pressure is remarkable.

We should think of this study as the start of the investigation of the relationship between omega-3 status and blood pressure. Its weakness is that it only shows an association between high Omega-3 Index and low blood pressure. It does not prove cause and effect.

Its strength is that it is consistent with many other studies showing omega-3 fatty acids lower blood pressure. Furthermore, it suggests that the effect of omega-3s on blood pressure may also be seen in young, healthy adults who have not yet developed high blood pressure.

Finally, the authors suggested that a diet rich in omega-3s might reduce the incidence of high blood pressure by slowing the age-related increase in blood pressure that most Americans experience. This idea is logical, but speculative at present.

However, the GAPP study is designed to provide the answer to that question. It is a long-term study with follow-up examinations scheduled every 3-5 years. It will be interesting to see whether the author’s prediction holds true, and a higher Omega-3 Index is associated with a slower increase in blood pressure as the participants age.

 

Why Is The Omega-3 Index Important?

 

The authors of this study said: “The Omega-3 Index is very robust to short-term intake of omega-3 fatty acids and reliably reflects an individual’s long-term omega-3 status and tissue omega-3 content. Therefore, the Omega-3 Index has the potential to become a cardiovascular risk factor as much as the HbA1c is for people with diabetes…” That is a bit of an overstatement. HbA1c is a measure of disease progression for diabetes because it is a direct measure of blood sugar control.

In contrast, Omega-3 Index is merely a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, if it is further validated by future studies, it is likely to be as important for predicting cardiovascular risk as are cholesterol levels and markers of inflammation.

However, to me the most important role of Omega-3 Index is in the design of future clinical studies. If anyone really wants to determine whether omega-3 supplementation reduces cardiovascular risk, high blood pressure, diabetes or any other health outcome they should:

  • Start with a population group with an Omega-3 Index in the deficient (4-5%) range.
  • Supplement with omega-3 fatty acids in a double blind, placebo-controlled manner.
  • Show that supplementation brought participants up to an optimal Omega-3 Index of 8% or greater.
  • Look at health outcomes such as heart attacks, cardiovascular deaths, hypertension, stroke, or depression.
  • Continue the study long enough for the beneficial effects of omega-3 supplementation to be measurable. For cardiovascular outcomes the American Heart Association has stated that at least two years are required to obtain meaningful results.

These are the kind of experiments that will be required to give definitive, reproducible results and resolve the confusion about the health effects of omega-3 fatty acids.

 

The Bottom Line

 

An accurate measure of omega-3 status has been developed and validated in recent years. It’s called the Omega-3 Index. Simply put, the Omega-3 Index is the percentage of EPA and DHA compared to 26 other fatty acids found in cellular membranes.

Although more work needs to be done, an Omega-3 Index of 4% or less is generally considered indicative of high cardiovascular risk while 8% or better is considered indicative of low cardiovascular risk.

Previous studies have shown an inverse correlation between Omega-3 Index and blood pressure. However, these studies have been done with older populations, many of whom had already developed high blood pressure.

From a public health point of view, it is much more interesting to investigate whether it might be possible to prevent high blood pressure in older adults by optimizing omega-3 intake in a young, healthy population, most of whom had not yet developed high blood pressure. Until now, there have been no studies looking at that population.

The study described in this article was designed to fill that gap. The participants in this study were ages 25-41, were healthy, and none of them had elevated blood pressure.

When the group with the highest Omega-3 Index (average = 5.8%) was compared with the group with the lowest Omega-3 Index (average = 4.6%):

  • Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure were decreased
  • Blood pressure measurements decreased linearly with increasing Omega-3 Index.

The authors concluded: “A higher Omega-3 Index is associated with statistically significant, clinically relevant, lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure in normotensive, young and healthy individuals. Diets rich omega-3 fatty acids may be a strategy for primary prevention of hypertension.”

Let me translate that last sentence into plain English for you. The authors were saying that optimizing omega-3 intake in young adults may slow the age-related increase in blood pressure and reduce the risk of them developing high blood pressure as they age. This may begin to answer the question “Do omega-3s lower blood pressure in young, healthy adults?”

Or even more simply put: Aging is inevitable. Becoming unhealthy is not.

For more details, read the article above.

 

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Does Vitamin D Reduce Cholesterol In Children?

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Is Vitamin D Associated With Heart Disease Risk?

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney

 

vitamin-d-reduce-cholesterol-childrenNot too many years ago, we thought of vitamin D as affecting bone density and little else. Then we discovered that almost every cell in our body has vitamin D receptors. This has lead to research suggesting that vitamin D affects our health in many ways that were unimaginable only a couple of decades ago.

For example, low vitamin D levels are associated with increased risk of heart disease. The linkage between vitamin D and heart disease has not been proven. Nor do we know the mechanism. However, this has lead to ongoing research asking if there is any relationship between vitamin D and cholesterol metabolism.

The answer appears to be yes. Several studies have suggested a correlation between low vitamin D levels and elevated total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides – all risk factors for heart disease.

The next question is how early in life is this correlation found. Again, some studies have suggested that the same correlation between low vitamin D and high levels of unhealthy lipids are found in teens. But, what about pre-teens, children who haven’t gone through puberty yet? That’s what this study was designed to determine.

 

How Was The Study Done?

vitamin-d-reduce-cholesterol-children studyThe current study  was based on data collected from 419 children, ages 6-8, in the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children (PANIC) Study in Eastern Finland. This was a lifestyle study that collected information on body weight, diet, and activity levels.

Fasting blood samples were also collected and analyzed for blood lipid levels (total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides) and for 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), which is considered the most accurate measure of vitamin D status. The National Institutes of Health considers:

  • <30 nmol/L of 25(OH)D an indicator of vitamin D deficiency.
  • 30 to <50 nmol/L 25(OH)D an indicator of vitamin D insufficiency.
  • ≥50 nmol/L 25(OH)D an indicator of adequate vitamin D status.

To put this study in perspective, vitamin D status is a major concern in Finland because of its proximity to the Arctic Circle. There is little sunlight in the winter, and, although the days are long in the summer, the sun is weak. The major sources of vitamin D in the Finnish diet are fish, vitamin D-fortified fluid milk products, vitamin D-fortified fat spreads, and vitamin D supplementation. Vitamin D fortification was introduced in Finland in 2003. Vitamin D supplementation has also become increasing popular. The number of people using vitamin D supplements has increased from 11% in 2000 to 41% in 2011.

A recent study  looking a vitamin D status between 2000 and 2011 found that the combination of food fortification and vitamin D supplementation has been successful at improving vitamin D status in the Finnish population, increasing average 25(OH)D levels from 48 nmol/L to 65 nmol/L.

 

Does Vitamin D Reduce Cholesterol In Children?

vitamin dIn this study the mean serum 25(OH)D in the children was 68.1 nmol/L. 20% of the children had serum 25(OH)D below 50 nmol/L, and only 4 children (1%) had serum 25(OH)D below 30 nmol/L. When 25(OH)D levels were compared with blood lipid levels:

  • Higher serum 25(OH)D levels were associated with lower plasma levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides.
  • The association between higher 25(OH)D levels and lower blood levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol remained after correcting for weight, physical activity, sedentary behavior, diet, daylight time, parental education, and genetic mutations known to affect vitamin D metabolism.

What Does This Mean For You?

I don’t want to overinterpret the study. Not all studies show an inverse association between 25(OH)D and cholesterol levels. Most of the previous studies have also indicated that higher 25(OH)D levels were associated increased HDL levels, while this study found higher 25(OH)D levels associated with decreased HDL levels. Much more research needs to be done.

However, this study is yet another indication that optimal vitamin D status may be important for heart health, even in young children. While the correlation between vitamin D status and heart health is not definitive at present, virtually everyone agrees that adequate vitamin D status is a good thing.

My recommendations are to:

  • Get as much vitamin D as possible from vitamin D-fortified foods, oily fish, and sensible sun exposure.
  • Get your serum 25(OH)D level determined and take vitamin D supplements if it is low.

 

The Bottom Line

 

A recent study of vitamin D status in Finnish children ages 6-8 found:

  • Higher vitamin D status was associated with lower plasma levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides.
  • The association between better vitamin D status and lower blood levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol remained after correcting for weight, physical activity, sedentary behavior, diet, daylight time, parental education, and genetic mutations known to affect vitamin D metabolism.

This study is another indication that optimal vitamin D status may be important for heart health, even in young children. While the correlation between vitamin D status and heart health is not definitive at present, virtually everyone agrees that adequate vitamin D status is a good thing.

My recommendations are to:

  • Get as much vitamin D as possible from vitamin D-fortified foods, oily fish, and sensible sun exposure.
  • Get your serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level determined and take vitamin D supplements if it is low.
  • Make sure your children are getting enough vitamin D in their diet and have optimal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D.

For more details, read the article above.

 

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Why Is Fructose Bad For You?

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Is It The Sugar, Or Is It The Food?

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney

 

why fructose bad for youI don’t usually report on studies done in mice, but this study sheds light on a particularly puzzling question: Why is fructose bad for you?

The studies are clear-cut. High fructose consumption is associated with inflammation, obesity, non-alcoholic liver disease, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, kidney disease, increased LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and heart disease. Based on these associations, fructose appears to be deadly. Why would anyone want to consume it?

Yet fructose is found in virtually every fruit. In fact, fructose, also known as fruit sugar, was first isolated from fruits. Hence the name fructose. Humans have been eating fruits safely for thousands of years. Fruits are very good for us. That raises the question: “If fruits are good for us, how can fructose be bad for us?”.

An important clue can be found by looking at what the food industry has done to the American diet. Because fructose imparts a pleasurable, sweet taste to foods, the food industry keeps adding it to more and more foods. As a result, dietary intake of fructose has increased 100-fold over the past two centuries. It has reached the point where fructose now accounts for almost 10% of the caloric intake in the United States.

 

Is It The Sugar, Or Is It The Food?

 

Let me expand the discussion by using a couple of graphics I developed for my book, “Slaying The Food Myths.”  

There Are No Sugar Villains. There Are No Sugar Heroes:

why fructose bad for you sugar foodVirtually all sweeteners are primarily a mixture of fructose and glucose. The graphic on the left compares high fructose corn syrup (the current villain) with other “natural” sweeteners used in foods (our current heroes). High fructose corn syrup ranges from about 40% fructose to 55% fructose. The exact percentage depends on what kind of food product is being made with it. Honey and coconut sugar are about 45% fructose. Sucrose and grape juice concentrate are around 50% fructose. Apple juice concentrate is around 60% fructose, and agave sugar comes in at a whopping 80% fructose.

In other words, if fructose is the culprit that everyone makes it out to be, “healthy” sugars are no better than high fructose corn syrup. Simply substituting a “healthy” sugar for high fructose corn syrup is unlikely to provide any meaningful benefit.

 

Is It The Sugar, Or Is The Food?

why fructose bad for you fruitsThis graphic shows us what a nutrition label would look like on a medium apple. I am sure that label is a wake-up call for many of you. The amount of sugar and the percentage of fructose and glucose are about the same as in an 8-ounce soda sweetened with high fructose corn syrup. The same is true for virtually every other fruit you can think of.

Now let me share one more thing you won’t hear from what I refer to as “Dr. Strangelove’s Health Blog” (You probably know the ones I am referring to). Virtually all the studies showing the bad effects of fructose consumption have been done with sodas and sugary junk foods. They haven’t been done with apples.

In fact, virtually every study looking at fruit and vegetable consumption has shown they are incredibly good for us. They lower inflammation and reduce the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. And, the more the better. One study found that the health benefits of fruit and vegetable consumption topped out at around 10 servings a day.

With this background, you should now fully understand why the question “If fruits are good for us, how can fructose be bad for us?” is so perplexing.

My simplistic explanation has always been that whole foods like fruits have fiber, which slows the absorption of fructose from the intestine. Our bodies were designed to handle fructose in a safe manner when it enters the bloodstream slowly. Sodas and junk foods, on the other hand, have little to slow the absorption of fructose. When fructose enters the bloodstream rapidly, our “safe” metabolic pathways for handling it are overwhelmed, and it is forced into the pathways that are harmful. For example, the “excess” fructose is converted to fat by the liver, which causes inflammation, obesity, fatty liver disease, and triglyceride production.

This is, of course, simply my hypothesis for explaining the different effect of fructose in fruits and sodas. It is based on sound metabolic principles, but it is far from proven. That is why I found the current study (C. Jang et al, Cell Metabolism, 27: 351-361, 2018 ) so interesting. It provides a metabolic rationale for my hypothesis.

How Was The Study Done?

Mice were fed a 1:1 mixture of fructose and glucose at doses that approximated the ranges of typical human fructose consumption. The fructose was isotopically labeled so that fructose and its metabolites could be identified by LC-MS (liquid chromatography – mass spectrometry). After feeding the mice the labeled fructose, the investigator measured the amount of fructose and its metabolites in various organs and in the portal vein, which transports sugars from the intestine to the liver for additional metabolism before they enter the bloodstream.

 

Why Is Fructose Bad For You?

why fructose bad for you intestine liverThe first surprise was that most of the fructose was metabolized by the intestinal mucosal cells that line the small intestine rather than the liver. Previous reports had assumed that fructose was primarily metabolized by the liver because that was where most of the bad effects of fructose metabolism had been observed.

These investigators observed that fructose was primarily converted to glucose and small molecular weight metabolites by the intestinal mucosal cells before being released into the portal vein, where they were transported to the liver. However, there was a strong dose response effect.

  • At low fructose doses, 90% of fructose was metabolized by intestinal mucosal cells before being released to the liver.
  • At high fructose doses, only 70% of fructose was metabolized by intestinal mucosal cells.
  • That means at high fructose doses the amount of fructose reaching the liver unchanged increases from 10% to 30%. That is a 3-fold increase!

The authors concluded:

  • “Based on these findings, we propose that the small intestine shields the liver from fructose and that excessive doses of fructose overwhelm the small intestine, spilling over to the liver where they cause toxicity.”
  • “A key difference between the health effects of fiber-rich fruits (and perhaps even fiber-rich prepared foods) and juices/sodas is their rate of intestinal fructose release.”
  • “It is likely that the appearance rate of free fructose in the small intestine plays a critical role in dictating its metabolic fate. Like the lower doses in our experiments, a slower rate of fructose appearance will result in more complete intestinal clearance, whereas higher doses and faster rates result in fructose overflow to the liver.”

This study needs to be confirmed, and the mechanism may be entirely different in humans. However, whether the mechanism is the same in mice and humans is immaterial. We already know that fructose in sodas and junk foods exerts a very different effect on our health than fructose in fruits and other fiber-containing foods.

The Bottom Line

 

Previous studies have clearly shown that fructose in sodas and junk foods is bad for us, while fructose in fruits is good for us. A recent study in mice provides a metabolic explanation for this difference. The study found:

  • At low fructose doses, 90% of fructose was metabolized by intestinal mucosal cells before being released to the liver.
  • At high fructose doses, only 70% of fructose was metabolized by intestinal mucosal cells.
  • That means at high fructose doses the amount of fructose reaching the liver unchanged increases from 10% to 30%. That is a 3-fold increase!

The authors concluded:

  • “Based on these findings, we propose that the small intestine shields the liver from fructose and that excessive doses of fructose overwhelm the small intestine, spilling over to the liver where they cause toxicity.”
  • “A key difference between the health effects of fiber-rich fruits (and perhaps even fiber-rich prepared foods) and juices/sodas is their rate of intestinal fructose release.”
  • “It is likely that the appearance rate of free fructose in the small intestine plays a critical role in dictating its metabolic fate. Like the lower doses in our experiments, a slower rate of fructose appearance will result in more complete intestinal clearance, whereas higher doses and faster rates result in fructose overflow to the liver.”

This study needs to be confirmed, and the mechanism may be entirely different in humans. However, whether the mechanism is the same in mice and humans is immaterial. We already know that fructose in sodas and junk foods exerts a very different effect on our health than fructose in fruits and other fiber-containing foods.

For more details, read the article above.

 

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

 

What Is The Pegan Diet?

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Is The Pegan Diet Healthy?

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney

 

pegan diet newsJust when you thought you had heard about every possible diet, along comes a new one called the Pegan diet. What is the Pegan Diet and is it healthy?

The Pegan diet was introduced by Dr. Mark Hyman in his new book, “Food: What the Heck Should I Eat?”. I don’t agree with Dr. Hyman on everything (which will become apparent when I review his diet), but I hold him in high regard. He is much more credible than most of the doctors who are writing popular blogs and diet books.

Basically, the Pegan diet is a combination of the Paleo and Vegan diets (hence the name). It
was meant to combine the best features of each while eliminating their drawbacks.

 

What Are The Pros & Cons Of The Vegan And Paleo Diets?

 

pegan diet fruits and vegetablesPros And Cons Of The Vegan Diet:

Dr. Hyman listed the following pros:

  • The diet ideally incorporates mostly whole, plant-based foods.
  • It provides lots of vitamins (especially antioxidants and most of the B vitamins), fiber, and healthy fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats).
  • It avoids what he calls the “baggage that comes from feedlot meat”. He is, of course, referring to the inhumane way that most of the animals that end up on our plates are treated. It also avoids the saturated and trans fats associated with the meats most Americans prefer.

I would add that Vegan diets are very healthy. As I discuss in my book, “Slaying the Food
Myths” (https://slayingthefoodmyths.com). we know that people who consume whole food
Vegan diets over a period of many years weigh less and have lower incidence of heart
disease, diabetes, and cancer than the general population.

Dr. Hyman listed the following cons:

  • Vegan diets are likely to be deficient in vitamin B12, iron, zinc, copper, and vitamin D.
    Of these deficiencies, B12 is the most serious because B12 only comes from animal
    foods.
  • Vegan diets will not provide enough of the heart healthy omega-3s, EPA and DHA.
    Again, that’s because these omega-3 fatty acids come primarily from animal sources.
  • Vegan diets may not provide enough protein, especially for seniors because they have
    increased protein requirements. It is possible to get enough protein from Vegan foods,
    but some diligence is required.
  • The food industry provides plenty of highly processed, junk food versions of “Vegan”
    foods. So, it is possible to be Vegan and eat an unhealthy diet.

I would concur and add that calcium is another likely deficiency for Vegans

Pros & Cons Of the Paleo Diet:

pegan diet meatDr. Hyman listed the following pros:

  • The Paleo diet eliminates most sugars and grains. That eliminates sodas, junk foods, and most processed foods, which is a very good thing.
  • It is a low-glycemic diet, which is helpful for people with diabetes. He went on to say that it could reverse type 2 diabetes.

I would concur and add that it has a healthier profile of fats than most low-carb diets.

However, I would also note that a low-carb version of the Mediterranean diet is also helpful for people with diabetes, and a whole food, very low-fat version of the Vegan diet has also been shown to reverse type 2 diabetes.

Dr. Hyman listed the following cons:

  • The Paleo diet is essentially a myth. There were many types of diets in prehistoric times.
  • Many people following the Paleo diet consume too much meat and too little plant-based foods.
  • Our prehistoric ancestors may have consumed as much as 100-150 grams of fiber a day. The average American consumes 8 -15 grams a day, and people on a Paleo diet may consume even less. (Note: The estimate of 100-150 grams of fiber per day is based on the same type of faulty evidence that lead to the Paleo diet in the first place. Our prehistoric ancestor’s fiber intake probably varied tremendously depending on their local food supply. However, it is safe to assume they ate much more fiber than we do.)

I would concur and add:

  • Studies have shown that women consuming the Paleo diet have low intakes of calcium, magnesium, iodine, thiamin, riboflavin, and folate.
  • The Paleo diet relies heavily on red meat, which an agency of the World Health Organization has classified as a probable carcinogen. Reliance on grass-fed beef in the Paleo diet does not reduce this concern.
  • There is no evidence that the Paleo diet is healthy long term. In fact, there is no evidence that any meat-based, low-carb diet is healthy long term.

For more about the pros and cons of the Vegan and Paleo diets – plus which diets I consider healthy – see my book “Slaying The Food Myths.”

What Is The Pegan Diet?

In the words of Dr. Hyman: “…the best versions of both diets [Paleo and Vegan] are built on the same foundation: Eat real, whole food. Vegan and Paleo diets focus on foods that don’t raise our blood sugar, plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, healthy protein and [healthy] fats, and no crap [junk foods].” Dr. Hyman started with that foundation for the Paleo diet.

Here are Dr. Hyman’s 12 characteristics of his Pegan diet with my comments:

 

#1. Stay away from sugar. My comment: He gets an A+ for this one because, unlike many of today’s diet gurus, he is not telling you to avoid all sugars. He is focusing on the sugars and refined carbohydrates that cause spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels. As I point out in my book, there is the same amount of sugar in an 8-oz soda and a medium apple. It’s the sodas, refined carbs, and sugary foods you want to avoid, not apples.

pegan diet plant-based#2: Eat mostly plants. My comment: Again, he gets an A+ for this one. He recommends covering half your plate with a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables.

#3. Easy on the fruits. My comment: This one is an A-. He is correct in pointing out that some fruits like grapes and melons are higher in sugar and/or lower in fiber than other fruits. He is missing the point that blood sugar response to foods is a very individual characteristic. Some people do well on most fruits. Other people need to be more careful about which fruits they eat.

#4: Stay away from pesticides, antibiotics, hormones, and GMO foods. My comment: Another A+, especially because he included artificial additives, preservatives, dyes, and sweeteners.

#5: Eat foods containing healthy fats. My comment: I give him a B- for this one. He is right on the mark when he talks about polyunsaturated omega-3 fats and the monounsaturated fats found in nuts, seeds, olive oil, and avocados as being healthy. He is a bit off-base when he starts talking about “healthy” saturated fats in grass-fed beef and butter. He also advocates coconut oil despite the fact there is no good long-term evidence coconut oil is healthy.

#6: Stay away from most vegetable, nut, and seed oils. My comment: He gets a C- for this one. These oils are a good source of omega-6 polyunsaturated fats, which are essential for the human body. There is nothing inherently unhealthy about them. However, I do agree with him that we consume way too much of these oils in relation to monounsaturated and omega-3 polyunsaturated oils. If he had said “reduce consumption of” rather than “stay away from” those oils, I would have upgraded him to an A-.

pegan diet dairy#7: Avoid or limit dairy. My comment: He gets a B for this one. The statement that dairy “doesn’t work for most people” is a myth. Avoiding or limiting dairy is excellent advice for anyone who is dairy-sensitive. I would also agree that we should not necessarily be aiming for 2 to 3 servings of dairy per day for everyone. However, dairy is a major source of calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D in the American diet. If dairy is to be eliminated or limited, consideration should be given to where people will get those important nutrients.

#8: Think of meat and animal products as condiments – not the main course. My comment: He gets an A+ for this one. As I say in my book, fruits and vegetables can neutralize many of the toxic effects of meats. One or two ounces of meat in a green salad or a stir fry is much healthier than a 6-ounce steak with fries.

#9: Eat sustainably raised or harvested low-mercury fish. My comment: He gets an A- for this one. I downgraded him because he ignored contamination of fish with PCBs and other industrial chemicals. Once you take that into account, most farm-raised and some sustainably harvested fish are eliminated from consideration.

#10. Avoid gluten. My comment: He gets a C- for this one. It is good advice if you are gluten sensitive. If you are not, gluten-containing foods are not generally a problem. The real focus should be on the blood sugar response to the food, not on whether the food contains wheat or another gluten-containing grain.

#11: Eat gluten-free whole grains sparingly. My comment: This one rates a D. Whole grains are a good source of some nutrients like vitamin E. They are also an excellent source of fiber. It is important to realize that there are many types of fiber and each plays a different role in intestinal health. The fibers found in whole grains are different than those found in fruits and vegetables. They are an important part of a healthy diet. Dr. Hyman states that whole grains also raise blood sugar. That is an overstatement. Their effect on blood sugar may not be zero, but it is less than that of refined grains. Moreover, when eaten as part of a healthy meal, their effect on blood sugar is minimal.

#12: Eat beans only once in a while. My comment: He gets a D- for this one. He has already limited meat to a condiment. If you are also only eating beans every once in a while, you will have trouble meeting your protein requirements, especially as you get older.

You will find more details about the science behind many of the comments I made above in my book, “Slaying The Food Myths.”

 

Is The Pegan Diet Healthy?

The simple answer is that no long-term studies have been done, so we have no evidence that the Pegan diet is either healthy or unhealthy. However, the Pegan diet incorporates many of the best features of the Vegan diet, and we know the Vegan diet is very healthy long term. We also know that a semi-vegetarian diet is almost as healthy as the Vegan diet, so incorporating small amounts of meat into the Pegan diet is unlikely to make it unhealthy. On the basis of those considerations, the Pegan diet would appear to be healthy.

However, we have 5 food groups for a reason. Any time you eliminate food groups you introduce potential nutritional deficiencies that can affect your health. That is why I have concerns about statements like “Stay away from most vegetable, nut, and seed oils”, “Avoid dairy”, “Eat…whole grains sparingly”, and “Eat beans only once in a while”. If you removed those limitations, the Pegan diet would likely be very healthy. However, as it is currently described, the Pegan diet has too many questionable restrictions to be considered as healthy.

 

The Bottom Line

 

Dr. Mark Hyman has combined the best features of the Paleo and Vegan diets to create a new diet, which he calls the Pegan diet.

I have analyzed the Pegan diet in great detail in the article above:

  • It has many characteristics of a healthy diet.
  • However, it also has several unwarranted dietary restrictions that are likely to create nutritional deficiencies which may have adverse health consequences.
  • There are no long-term studies to tell us whether the Pegan diet is healthy or unhealthy.

In summary, the diet has some good features and some bad features. Because it has both good and bad features, one cannot predict whether the diet will be healthy or unhealthy long term. Until there is long-term experimental evidence that it is healthy, I cannot recommend it.

For more details, read the article above.

 

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Yoga Pain Relief From Tight Muscles

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Yoga Shouldn’t Cause You Pain

Author: Julie Donnelly, LMT – The Pain Relief Expert

Editor: Dr. Steve Chaney

yoga pain relief

Do you love to practice yoga?  Do you feel energized after stretching your muscles?  Or do you have yoga pain that prevents you from moving easily after your session is complete.  You probably would like to know how to achieve yoga pain relief from tight muscles.

Why Tight Muscles Cause Yoga Pain

A muscle originates on a bone, merges into a tendon, crosses over a joint, and inserts into another bone. When the muscle contracts it pulls on the tendon, and the joint moves.  However, if the muscle is strained either by repetitive use, or trauma, it becomes too short.  Now you will feel pain when you try to lengthen it to its normal length.  If you try to stretch it you’ll feel even worse pain, and you won’t be able to move properly.

yoga pain relief stretchHere is an analogy to help you better understand the concept. If you tied a rope between two trees and knotted the rope, the flexible tree would bend. If you then tried to force the flexible tree to stand up straight, the knots would get tighter. Also, the fibers outside of the knots would over-stretch.

This is what happens in your body when a muscle is shortened by spasms (knots).  And in your body, the two ends are attached to a bone. As a result, when you try to stretch the knotted muscles, they put a strain on your joint.  You feel pain, and you may have even injured your muscles.

It makes sense to untie the spasms before you stretch.  This would help prevent the need for yoga pain relief.

How To Prevent Yoga Pain By Releasing Muscle Spasms First

yoga pain relief bookFor over 15 years I have been helping people around the world via email and Zoom consultations.  A person orders a consultation, sends me an email explaining the problem, and I send back some treatment ideas. Along with the consultation they get a copy of Treat Yourself To Pain-Free Living  so they can do the treatments I suggest.

An amazing yoga instructor in Texas, named Ana, was having pain in her calf muscles. She was accustomed to yoga eliminating all pains, so she was frustrated that the pain didn’t disappear.  She found me by doing an internet search and decided to have a telephone consultation.

Ana sent an email to me describing her problem.  I told her to order the Treat Yourself To Pain-Free Living book and described the self-treatment for her calf pain.  We then made an appointment to talk in two weeks.

yoga pain relief calfThe treatment for the pain in her calf muscles is shown on the left. You lie on your back and put your calf over top of your opposite bent knee.  Press down and slowly move your leg up toward your head so your knee moves down your calf.  If you find a sore point, that’s a spasm. Hold your pressure on the point for about 30 seconds, then release the pressure for about 30 seconds.  Then repeat 1-2 more times.  It will hurt, but since it’s releasing the spasm, you’ll find it will hurt less each time you do it.

It took Ana just two days to resolve her calf issue and get yoga pain relief. By then, her book had arrived. Since she still had 12 days before we talked, she decided to use the information in the book and work on her hips.  She was shocked to find her hips actually had a lot of spasms.  She treated them as the book showed, and her yoga improved.  Then she took a look at her shoulders that were also “fine.”  Again, she was shocked to find they also had multiple spasms. She treated them as shown in the book, and again her yoga improved.  She was thrilled!

Yoga Pain Relief

yoga pain relief dvdWhen we finally spoke, Ana had made the decision that this was information that needed to come out to yoga instructors everywhere.  That was the beginning of Trigger Point Yoga.  Ana and I worked together to create a product to teach how to release tight muscles before stretching.

Ultimately the product name was changed to Focused Flexibility Training so athletes would also release muscles before stretching.

It’s important to release the spasms that tie your muscles into knots before you stretch.  Focused Flexibility Training shows you where to press, and how to best treat the knot.  And the yoga stretching DVDs are truly first-class.

 

Wishing you well,

Julie Donnelly

About The Author

julie donnelly

Julie Donnelly is a Deep Muscle Massage Therapist with 20 years of experience specializing in the treatment of chronic joint pain and sports injuries. She has worked extensively with elite athletes and patients who have been unsuccessful at finding relief through the more conventional therapies.

She has been widely published, both on – and off – line, in magazines, newsletters, and newspapers around the country. She is also often chosen to speak at national conventions, medical schools, and health facilities nationwide.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Should We Use Supplements For Cardiovascular Health?

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Are You Just Wasting Your Money On Supplements?

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney

 

supplements for cardiovascular health wast moneyYou’ve seen the headlines. “Recent Study Finds Vitamin and Mineral Supplements Don’t Lower Heart Disease Risk.”  You are being told that supplements are of no benefit to you. They are a waste of money. You should follow a healthy diet instead. Is all of this true?

If I were like most bloggers, I would give you a simple yes or no answer that would be only partially correct. Instead, I am going to put the study behind these headlines into perspective. I am going to give you a deeper understanding of supplementation, so you can make better choices for your health.

 Should we use supplements for cardiovascular health?

In today’s article I will give you a brief overview of the subject. Here are the topics I will cover today:

  • Is this fake news?
  • Did the study ask the right questions?
  • Is this a question of “Garbage In – Garbage Out?“
  • Reducing Heart Disease Risk. What you need to know.

All these topics are covered in much more detail (with references) in my book “Slaying The Supplement Myths”, which will be published this fall.

 

How Was This Study Done?

supplements for cardiovascular healthThis study (D.J.A. Jenkins et al, Journal of the American College Of Cardiology, 71: 2540-2584, 2018 ) was a meta-analysis. Simply put, that means the authors combined the results of many previous studies into a single database to increase the statistical power of their conclusions. This study included 127 randomized control trials published between 2012 and December 2017. These were all studies that included supplementation and looked at cardiovascular end points, cancer end points or overall mortality.

Before looking at the results, it is instructive to look at the strengths and weaknesses of the study. Rather than giving you my interpretation, let me summarize what the authors said about strengths and weaknesses of their own study.

The strengths are obvious. Randomized control trials are considered the gold standard of evidence-based medicine, but they have their weaknesses. Here is what the authors said about the limitations of their study:

  • “Randomized control trials are of shorter duration, whereas longer duration studies might be required to fully capture chronic disease risk.”
  • “Dose-response data were not usually available [from the randomized control studies included in their analysis]. However, larger studies would allow the effect of dose to be assessed.”

There are some other limitations of this study, which I will point out below.

Is This Fake News?

supplements for cardiovascular health fake newsWhen I talk about “fake news” I am referring to the headlines, not to the study behind the headlines. The headlines were definitive: “Vitamin and Mineral Supplements Don’t Lower Heart Disease Risk.” However, when you read the study the reality is quite different:

  • In contrast to the negative headlines, the study reported:
    • Folic acid supplementation decreased stroke risk by 20% and overall heart disease risk by 17%.
    • B complex supplements containing folic acid, B6, and B12 decreased stroke risk by 10%.
    • That’s a big deal, but somehow the headlines forgot to mention it.
  • The supplements that had no significant effect on heart disease risk (multivitamins, vitamin D, calcium, and vitamin C) were ones that would not be expected to lower heart disease risk. There was little evidence from previous studies of decreased risk. Furthermore, there is no plausible mechanism for supposing they might decrease heart disease risk.
  • The study did not include vitamin E or omega-3 supplements, which are the ones most likely to prove effective in decreasing heart disease risk when the studies are done properly (see below).

Did The Study Ask The Right Question?

Most of the studies included in this meta-analysis were asking whether a supplement decreased heart disease risk or mortality for everyone. Simply put, the studies started with a group of generally healthy Americans and asked whether supplementation had a significant effect on disease risk for everyone in that population.

That is the wrong question. We should not expect supplementation to benefit everyone equally. Instead, we should be asking who is most likely to benefit from supplementation and design our clinical studies to test whether those people benefit from supplementation.

supplements for cardiovascular health diagramI have created the graphic on the right as a guide to help answer the question of “Who is most likely to benefit from supplementation?”. Let me summarize each of the points using folic acid as the example.

 

Poor Diet: It only makes sense that those people who are deficient in folate from foods are the most likely to benefit from folic acid supplementation. Think about it for a minute. Would you really expect people who are already getting plenty of folate from their diet to obtain additional benefits from folic acid supplementation?

The NIH estimates that around 20% of US women of childbearing age are deficient in folic acid. For other segments of our population, dietary folate insufficiency ranges from 5-10%. Yet, most studies of folic acid supplementation lump everyone together – even though 80-95% of the US population is already getting enough folate through foods, food fortification, and supplementation. It is no wonder most studies fail to find a beneficial effect of folic acid supplementation.

The authors of the meta-analysis I discussed above said that the beneficial effects of folic acid they saw might have been influenced by a very large Chinese study, because a much higher percentage of Chinese are deficient in folic acid. They went on to say that the Chinese study needed to be repeated in this country.

In fact, the US study has already been done. A large study called “The Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation (HOPE)” study reported that folic acid supplementation did not reduce heart disease risk in the whole population. However, when the study focused on the subgroup of subjects who were folate-deficient at the beginning of the study, folic acid supplementation significantly decreased their risk of heart attack and cardiovascular death.  This would seem to suggest using supplements for cardiovascular health is a good idea.

Increased Need: There are many factors that increase the need for certain nutrients. However, for the sake of simplicity, let’s only focus on medications. Medications that interfere with folic acid metabolism include anticonvulsants, metformin (used to treat diabetes), methotrexate and sulfasalazine (used to treat severe inflammation), birth control pills, and some diuretics. Use of these medications is not a concern when the diet is adequate. However, when you combine medication use with a folate-deficient diet, health risks are increased and supplementation with folic acid is more likely to be beneficial.

Genetic Predisposition: The best known genetic defect affecting folic acid metabolism is MTHFR. MTHFR deficiency does not mean you have a specific need for methylfolate. However, it does increase your need for folic acid. Again, this is not a concern when the diet is adequate. However, when you combine MTHFR deficiency with a folate-deficient diet, health risks are increased and supplementation with folic acid is more likely to be beneficial. I cover this topic in great detail in my upcoming book, “Slaying The Supplement Myths”. In the meantime, you might wish to view my video, “The Truth About Methyl Folate.”

Diseases: An underlying disease or predisposition to disease often increases the need for one or more nutrients that help reduce disease risk. The best examples of this are two major studies on the effect of vitamin E on heart disease risk in women. Both studies found no effect of vitamin E on heart disease risk in the whole population. However, one study reported that vitamin E reduced heart disease risk in the subgroup of women who were post-menopausal (when the risk of heart disease skyrockets). The other study found that vitamin E reduced heart attack risk in the subgroup of women who had pre-existing heart disease at the beginning of the study.

Finally, if you look at the diagram closely, you will notice a red circle in the middle. When two or three of these factors overlap, that is the “sweet spot” where supplementation is almost certain to make a difference and it may be a good idea to use supplements for cardiovascular health.

Is This A Question Of “Garbage In, Garbage Out”?

supplements for cardiovascular health garbage in outUnfortunately, most clinical studies focus on the “Does everyone benefit from supplementation question?” rather than the “Who benefits from supplementation?” question.

In addition, most clinical studies of supplementation are based on the drug model. They are studying supplementation with a single vitamin or mineral, as if it were a drug. That’s unfortunate, because vitamins and minerals work together synergistically. What we need are more studies of holistic supplementation approaches.

Until these two things change, most supplement studies are doomed to failure. They are doomed to give negative results. In addition, meta-analyses based on these faulty supplement studies will fall victim to what computer programmers refer to as “Garbage In, Garbage Out”. If the data going into the analysis is faulty, the data coming out of the study will be equally faulty. It won’t be worth the paper it is written on. If you are looking for personal guidance on supplementation, this study falls into that category.

 

Should We Use Supplements For Cardiovascular Health?

 

If you want to know whether supplements decrease heart disease risk for everyone, this meta-analysis is clear. Folic acid may decrease the risk of stroke and heart disease. A B complex supplement may decrease the risk of stroke. All the other supplements they included in their analysis did not decrease heart disease risk, but the analysis did not include vitamin E and/or omega-3s.

However, if you want to know whether supplements decrease heart disease risk for you, this study provides no guidance. It did not ask the right questions.

I would be remiss, however, if I failed to point out that we know healthy diets can decrease heart disease risk. In the words of the authors: “The recent science-based report of the U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, also concerned with [heart disease] risk reduction, recommended 3 dietary patterns: 1) a healthy American diet low in saturated fat, trans fat, and meat, but high in fruits and vegetables; 2) a Mediterranean diet; and 3) a vegetarian diet. These diets, with their accompanying recommendations, continue the move towards more plant-based diets…” I cover the effect of diet on heart disease risk in detail in my book, “Slaying The Food Myths”.

 

The Bottom Line

 

You have probably seen the recent headlines proclaiming: “Vitamin and Mineral Supplements Don’t Lower Heart Disease Risk.” The study behind the headlines was a meta-analysis of 127 randomized control trials looking at the effect of supplementation on heart disease risk and mortality.

  • The headlines qualify as “fake news” because:
    • The study found that folic acid decreased stroke and heart disease risk, and B vitamins decreased stroke risk. Somehow the headlines forgot to mention that.
    • The study found that multivitamins, vitamin D, calcium, and vitamin C had no effect on heart disease risk. These are nutrients that were unlikely to decrease heart disease risk to begin with.
    • The study did not include vitamin E and omega-3s. These are nutrients that are likely to decrease heart disease risk when the studies are done properly.
  • The authors of the study stated that a major weakness of their study was that that randomized control studies included in their analysis were short term, whereas longer duration studies might be required to fully capture chronic disease risk.
  • The study behind the headlines is of little use for you as an individual because it asked the wrong question.
  • Most clinical studies focus on the “Does everyone benefit from supplementation question?” That is the wrong question. Instead we need more clinical studies focused on the “Who benefits from supplementation?” question. I discuss that question in more detail in the article above.
  • In addition, most clinical studies of supplementation are based on the drug model. They are studying supplementation with a single vitamin or mineral, as if it were a drug. That’s unfortunate, because vitamins and minerals work together synergistically. What we need are more studies of holistic supplementation approaches.
  • Until these two things change, most supplement studies are doomed to failure. They are doomed to give negative results. In addition, meta-analyses based on these faulty supplement studies will fall victim to what computer programmers refer to as “Garbage In, Garbage Out”. If the data going into the analysis is faulty, the data coming out of the study will be equally faulty. It won’t be worth the paper it is written on. If you are looking for personal guidance on supplementation, this study falls into that category.
  • If you want to know whether supplements decrease heart disease risk for everyone, this study is clear. Folic acid may decrease the risk of stroke and heart disease. A B-complex supplement may decrease the risk of stroke. All the other supplements they included in their analysis did not decrease heart disease risk, but they did not include vitamin E and/or omega-3s in their analysis.
  • If you want to know whether supplements decrease heart disease risk for you, this study provides no guidance. It did not ask the right questions.
  • However, we do know that healthy, plant-based diets can decrease heart disease risk. I cover heart healthy diets in detail in my book, “Slaying The Food Myths.”

 

For more details, read the article above.

 

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Iron Deficiency In Children May Negatively Affect Their Brains

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Is Your Teen Getting Enough Iron?

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney

 

iron deficiency in childrenFor those of you with teenagers – or who have had teenagers in the past – you may suspect that there’s nothing between their ears. But actually, there is a lot going on between their ears, and some of the neural contacts laid down in the brain during the teen years influence the health of their brain during their adult life.

And – no surprise here – what they eat can affect the health of their brain as well.  Iron deficiency in children may negatively affect their brains later in life.

Which brings me to a study (N. Jahanshad et al, PNAS 109 E851-E859, 2012 ) that looks at the adequacy of dietary iron intake during the teenage years and their brain health as adults.

 

Basics of Iron Metabolism

 

iron deficiency in children metabolismBefore I describe the study perhaps a little bit of what I call Biochemistry 101 is in order.

Free iron is toxic to living cells. For that reason, our body produces multiple proteins to bind and transport the iron. The protein that binds and transports iron through the bloodstream is called transferrin. Under normal conditions 2/3 of the transferrin in our bloodstream has iron bound to it and 1/3 does not. And that is the ideal ratio of bound and unbound transferrin for delivery of iron to brain cells and other cells in our body.

When our diet is iron deficient (or we have excessive blood loss) the percent iron saturation of transferrin decreases. The body tries to compensate by producing more transferrin, but this doesn’t really help since the problem was inadequate iron supply, not inadequate transferrin supply. Consequently, elevated transferrin levels are generally indicative of an iron-deficient diet.

 

Iron Deficiency In Children

 

The study was led by Dr. Paul Thompson of the UCLA Department of Neurology. He and his team performed brain scans on 631 healthy young adults with an average age of 23. The brain scans were of a type that measured strength and integrity of the connections between the nerves in the brain – in other words, the brain’s wiring. They then went back and looked at the amount of iron available to each subject’s brain during adolescence by looking at their blood transferrin levels from routine physical exams performed at ages 12, 14 and 16 (blood transferrin levels are often measured as part of routine physical exams).

The results were clear cut. Elevated transferrin levels during the teenage years were associated with reduced brain-fiber integrity in regions of the brain that are known to be vulnerable to neurodegeneration. These individuals did not show any cognitive impairments as young adults, but the concern is that they might be more likely to develop cognitive impairments as they age.  From this, we can determine iron deficiency in children may make them susceptible to mental disease as they age.

Dr. Thompson summarized his team’s findings by saying that “Poor iron levels in childhood erode your brain reserves which you need later in life to protect against aging and Alzheimer’s. This is remarkable, as we were not studying iron deficient people, just around 600 normal healthy people. It underscores the need for a balanced diet in the teenage years, when your brain command center is still actively maturing.”

 

Questions Every Parent Should Ask

If you have teenagers, you might want to ask yourself questions like:

  • What is your teenager’s diet like?
  • Is it balanced?
  • Are you sure that it meets their nutritional needs?
  • Should you consider supplementation to make sure that they are getting all the nutrients that they need?

 

The Bottom Line

 

  • A recent study suggested that inadequate iron intake in the teenage years may affect how our brains are wired in our adult years. The authors of the study interpreted the study as suggesting that an inadequate diet during the teen years could predispose us to cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s as adults.
  • This study only looked at structural differences in the brain circuitry. We can’t conclude from this study alone that inadequate iron intake as a teenager will doom somebody to cognitive impairment and increased Alzheimer’s risk as they age. But we can conclude that adequate iron intake during adolescence is required for normal brain development.
  • And it’s probably not just iron. This study focused on iron status because transferrin levels are routinely measured during physical exams, so it was easy to go back and determine what each subject’s iron status was during their teenage years. Many other important nutrients are required for normal brain development, but we don’t have an easy way of going back and determining what someone’s nutritional status was for those nutrients in their teen years. What was shown to be true for iron in this study is likely to be true for other nutrients as well.
  • These were normal teens eating a normal American diet. They weren’t from a third world country and there was nothing weird about what they were eating. But, clearly some of the subjects in the study weren’t getting the iron that they needed from diet alone.
  • The teen years are a time of rapid growth and maturation. It’s not just the brain that needs the proper balance of nutrients during the teen years. All their tissues require proper nutrition.

 

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Colon Cancer Prevention and Anti-Inflammatory Diets

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How Can You Reduce Colon Cancer Risk?

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney

 

colon cancer prevention colorectalColorectal cancer is third most common form of cancer in the United States. The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be 140,000 new cases and 50,000 deaths from colorectal cancer in 2018. The death rate has been decreasing due to more aggressive screening, but it is still much too high.

Thus, there is considerable interest in discovering colon cancer prevention we can control. Several studies have suggested that inflammatory diets may be one preventable cause of colon cancer. There are many reasons for suspecting that inflammation may increase colon cancer risk. For example, we know:

  • Inflammation plays an important mechanistic role in cancer development.
  • Obesity causes a chronic state of low-grade inflammation, and obesity increases colon cancer risk.
  • Inflammatory bowel disease increases the risk of colon cancer.
  • Anti-inflammatory medications such as aspirin decrease colon cancer risk.

However, it has been difficult to prove that inflammatory diets increase colon cancer risk. In part, that is because we can’t measure inflammation directly. We must rely on inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF). Unfortunately, these markers correlate with different inflammatory processes in the body and seldom increase or decrease in unison.

The authors of the current study (FK Tabung et al, JAMA Oncology, 4: 366-373, 2018 ) used a dietary scoring system based on all three inflammatory markers to examine the correlation between an inflammatory diet and colon cancer risk.

How Was The Study Done?

colon cancer prevention inflammationThis study made use of data collected from 46,804 men enrolled in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (conducted between 1986 and 2012) and 74,246 women enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study (conducted between 1984 and 2012). Lifestyle, medical, and other health-related information were collected every 2 years. A comprehensive dietary questionnaire was administered every 4 years. During the 26-year follow-up period 2699 cases of colon cancer were diagnosed.

The inflammatory potential of the diet was estimated using an index called the empirical dietary inflammation pattern (EDIP) score that the authors had developed in a previous study (FK Tabung et al, Journal of Nutrition, 146: 1560-1570, 2016 ). This index was based on the effects of individual foods on all three markers of inflammation (CRP, IL-6, and TNF). Inflammatory foods had positive EDIP scores (they increased levels of one or more of the inflammatory markers). Anti-inflammatory foods had negative EDIP scores (they decreased levels of one or more inflammatory markers).

Most of the EDIP scores were consistent with previous studies on the inflammatory potential of various foods. For example:

  • Red meats, processed meats, refined grains, sugar-sweetened beverages, and diet beverages all scored as highly inflammatory.
  • One serving of beer or wine, coffee, dark yellow vegetables, and leafy green vegetables all scored as highly anti-inflammatory.

 

Colon Cancer Prevention By Avoiding Inflammatory Diets

colon cancer prevention fireThe subjects enrolled in the study were divided into five groups based on their inflammatory diet (EDIP) scores. When the investigators compared subjects who had the most inflammatory diet with subjects who had the least inflammatory diet:

  • The risk of colon cancer was increased by 44% in men and 22% in women.
  • People who refrain from alcohol consumption received even greater benefit from anti-inflammatory diets. For teetotalers an anti-inflammatory diet decreased colon cancer risk by 62% in men and 33% in women.

The authors concluded: “Findings from this large prospective [that is scientific jargon meaning the study was carried out over a period of many years] study support a role for the inflammatory potential of diet in colorectal cancer development, suggesting inflammation as a potential mechanism linking dietary patterns and colorectal cancer development.”

 

How To Prevent Colon Cancer Or At Lest Reduce The Risk?

 

colon cancer prevention american cancer societyOf course, holistic approaches are always best. Reducing colon cancer risk involves much more than simply consuming an anti-inflammatory diet. To put this study in perspective, let’s look at what the American Cancer Society recommendations about modifiable lifestyle factors that increase your risk of colon cancer. So, consider these when you think about colon cancer prevention.  I call this the 10,000-foot view because they only list the biggest contributors to colon cancer – the ones for which there is the most scientific evidence (I have put their exact comments in quotes):

#1: Being overweight or obese. “If you are overweight or obese your risk of developing and dying from colorectal cancer is higher”.

#2: Physical inactivity. “If you are not physically active, you have a greater chance of developing colon cancer.”

#3: Certain types of diets.

  • “A diet that’s high in red meats (such as beef, pork, lamb, or liver) and processed meats (like bacon, sausage, hot dogs and some luncheon meats) raises your colorectal cancer risk.” My comment: The evidence is stronger for red meats and processed meats than for any other foods. Processed meats are listed as likely carcinogens and red meats are listed as probable carcinogens by the International Agency For Research On Cancer (IARC), an agency of the WHO.
  • “Cooking meats at very high temperatures (frying, broiling, or grilling) creates chemicals that may raise your cancer risk.”

#4: Smoking. “People who have smoked for a long time are more likely than non-smokers to develop and die from colorectal cancer.”

#5: Heavy alcohol use. “Colorectal cancer has been linked to moderate to heavy alcohol use. Limiting alcohol use to no more than 2 drinks a day for men and 1 drink a day for women could have many health benefits, including a lower risk of many kinds of cancer. “

#6: Early detection. In case you have not heard, the American Cancer Society just released new guidelines recommending that screening for colon cancer begin at age 45.

If you want to take a closer look at the diet – colon cancer connection, you might be interested in the recommendations of Harvard’s Men’s Health Watch newsletter.

 

What Does This Mean For You?

colon cancer prevention inflammatory dietsIf you are confused about the conflicting information about which foods affect colon cancer risk, start with the American Cancer Society recommendations. Avoid red meats and processed meats as much as possible and don’t cook your meats at high temperatures. I realize this is not popular advice at the time of year when everyone is firing up their grills for summer cookouts, but these recommendations will go a long way towards colon cancer prevention. Don’t shoot the messenger. I’m just conveying information based on the best scientific evidence we have to date.

For best results follow the recommendations of the Harvard Men’s Health Watch newsletter to also avoid fried foods, sugary beverages and refined carbohydrates and add anti-inflammatory foods such as fresh fruits & vegetables, nuts, olive oil, and fatty fish.

With Harvard’s recommendations in mind, let me extend an olive branch to all of you red meat lovers. An ounce or two of red meat in a green salad or a stir fry with lots of fresh, colorful vegetables is much less likely to increase your risk of cancer than a steak or burger with fries. You will find more information on this topic in my book “Slaying The Food Myths.”

 

The Bottom Line:

A major study has just been published looking at the correlation between an inflammatory diet and colon cancer risk. When the investigators compared subjects who had the most inflammatory diet with subjects who had the least inflammatory diet:

  • The risk of colon cancer was increased by 44% in men and 22% in women.
  • People who refrain from alcohol consumption received even greater benefit from anti-inflammatory diets. For teetotalers an anti-inflammatory diet decreased colon cancer risk by 62% in men and 33% in women.

The authors concluded: “Findings from this large study support a role for the inflammatory potential of diet in colorectal cancer development, suggesting inflammation as a potential mechanism linking dietary patterns and colorectal cancer development.”

If you are confused about the conflicting information about which foods are inflammatory and anti-inflammatory, start with the American Cancer Society recommendations. Avoid red meats and processed meats as much as possible and don’t cook your meats at high temperatures. I realize this is not popular advice at the time of year that everyone is firing up their grills for summer cookouts, but these recommendations will go a long way towards colon cancer prevention.

For best results follow the recommendations of the Harvard Men’s Health Watch newsletter to also avoid inflammatory foods such as fried foods, sugary beverages and refined grains and add anti-inflammatory foods such as fresh fruits & vegetables, nuts, olive oil, and fatty fish.

With Harvard’s recommendations in mind, let me extend an olive branch to all of you red meat lovers. An ounce or two of red meats in a green salad or a stir fry with lots of fresh, colorful fruits and vegetables is much less likely to increase your risk of cancer than a steak or burger with fries. You will find more information on this topic in my book “Slaying The Food Myths.”

For more details on the American Cancer Society and Harvard recommendations and colon cancer prevention, read the article above:

 

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Inner Knee Pain Relief

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You Don’t Need To Suffer From Inner Knee Pain

Author: Julie Donnelly, LMT – The Pain Relief Expert

Editor: Dr. Steve Chaney

inner knee painInner knee pain will prevent you from straightening your leg. You may feel the pain especially when you go from sitting to standing, or when you walk down stairs. Yet treating a tiny muscle called Popliteus will often stop the pain quickly and easily.

 

Inner Knee Pain Is Frequently Caused By A Small Muscle

inner knee pain popliteusThe muscle is called Popliteus and is a muscle that is rarely considered by professionals while searching for solutions to inner knee pain.

Your Popliteus muscle is located deep inside your knee, connecting your thigh bone to your lower leg bone.  As you follow the link, move to #2 and #4 to see the Popliteus.  You’ll also see a muscle called Plantaris, which may or may not be a part of your problem.

When you are standing up straight, the muscle is at its longest length, but it shortens as your knee bends. The contraction of the muscle initiates the movement, giving the muscle the title of “the key that unlocks the knee.”  When you are sitting for hours or doing an activity such as cycling, the muscle is held shortened. This is the beginning of the problem.

A phenomenon called “Muscle Memory” changes the length of the muscle to the now-shorter length.  Since the muscle doesn’t lengthen as you go to stand up, it puts pressure on the two bones. You feel pain deep inside your knee joint, and you don’t realize it’s caused by a muscle.

In fact, because of the tension in the muscle, you may not be able to straighten your leg. You may feel the exact same symptoms as arthritis.  Fortunately, the muscle can be treated easily, releasing the tension on your knee joint.

Inner Knee Pain Relief By Treating Your Popliteus Muscle

inner knee pain reliefTo treat your Popliteus muscle, bend your knee and wrap your hands around it as shown in the picture.

Place your thumbs on the top of your knee cap and press your middle fingers into the back of your knee joint.

Press around with your fingertips until you find a “hot spot.”  This is the spasm that is causing the inner knee pain.  Once you have found the spasm, hold the pressure for 15 seconds. After 15 seconds, continue pressing on the spasm but slowly straighten your leg. This is releasing the spasm in the muscle and it is also stretching the fibers.  Repeat it 3-4 times or until it is no longer painful.  You don’t have to suffer from inner knee pain or many other joint pains.

inner knee pain free livingYou Can Eliminate Pains Quickly And Easily!

Treat Yourself to Pain-Free Living is an easy-to-read and easy-to-follow guide to other Julstro Method self-treatments for joint pains.

Colorful charts show you the areas of pain, and the location of the spasms that are the source of discomfort. Photographs and clear descriptions show you how to release the spasms.

This is not a book for your library. Treat Yourself to Pain-Free Living is a reference book that will become your favorite “go-to” book when you have aches and pains!

Wishing you well,

Julie Donnelly

 

julie donnelly

About The Author

Julie Donnelly is a Deep Muscle Massage Therapist with 20 years of experience specializing in the treatment of chronic joint pain and sports injuries. She has worked extensively with elite athletes and patients who have been unsuccessful at finding relief through the more conventional therapies.

She has been widely published, both on – and off – line, in magazines, newsletters, and newspapers around the country. She is also often chosen to speak at national conventions, medical schools, and health facilities nationwide.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Are Eggs Good For You?

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Do Eggs Reduce Heart Disease Risk?

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney

Are eggs good for you?

are eggs good for youIf you are like most Americans, you are probably confused about whether you should eat eggs or not. It’s no wonder. The story about eggs keeps changing.

Just a few years ago we were told that eggs were full of cholesterol. They would increase our risk of heart disease. We should avoid them. If we did eat eggs, it should just be the egg whites because all the cholesterol was in the yolk.

Then we were told that the latest science showed that dietary cholesterol didn’t have much of an effect on serum cholesterol levels. It was saturated fats, trans fats, and obesity that raised serum cholesterol levels. Several major studies found that eggs didn’t increase heart disease risk. But we were told not to overdo it. Two to three eggs a week were probably OK, but more might be risky.

Now the headlines proclaim that eggs are good for our heart. They decrease heart disease risk. You can eat an egg every day and actually reduce your risk of heart disease. What is the truth? Let’s start by looking at the study (C. Qin et al, Heart, doi: 10.1136/heartjnl-2017-312651 ).

How Was The Study Done?

are eggs good for you and your heartThe study was performed in China. 500,000 adults (aged 30-79 years) from 10 diverse sites in China were enrolled in the study between 2004 and 2008. At the beginning of the study, the participants were asked about the frequency of egg consumption. A subset of the participants was asked about egg consumption at regular intervals during the first year to assess whether egg consumption was constant. The participants were followed for 8.9 years and cardiovascular incidents were determined from multiple health registries in China.

In terms of egg consumption:

  • 9% of the population never consumed eggs or consumed them very infrequently.
  • 20% of the population consumed eggs 1-3 days/month.
  • 47% of the population consumed eggs 1-3 days/week.
  • 11% of the population consumed eggs 4-6 days/week.
  • 13% of the population consumed eggs daily (average = 0.76 eggs/day).

 

Are Eggs Good For You?

 

are eggs good for you and reduce heart diseaseWhen the scientists conducting the study compared participants reporting daily egg consumption with those who never or rarely consumed eggs:

  • Overall risk of cardiovascular disease was lowered by 11%
  • Risk of heart attacks was lowered by 12%
  • Risk of major cardiovascular events was lowered by 12%.
  • Risk of hemorrhagic stroke (stroke caused by bleeding in the brain) was lowered by 26%
  • Risk of ischemic stroke (stroke caused by a blood clot) was lowered by 10%.

In addition, daily egg consumers lowered their risk of:

  • Cardiovascular death by 18%.
  • Hemorrhagic stroke death by 28%.

The reduction in hemorrhagic stroke risk is particularly significant for the Chinese. In China stroke is the leading cause of death and disability. The reasons for the high stroke risk in China are not well understood. However, the smoking rate and the incidence of high blood pressure are both higher in China than in the United States.

 

What Does This Study Mean For You?

There are some weaknesses to this study. For example, participants reporting daily egg consumption had a higher level of education and household income, were more likely to take a multivitamin supplement, and less likely to have high blood pressure than participants reporting little or no egg consumption. The authors did their best to compensate for these differences statistically, but there is always the concern that they might have introduced bias into the conclusions.

More to the point, diet and lifestyle are very different in China than in the United States. That also could have influenced the results. Thus, it is, perhaps, premature to claim the eggs reduce the risk of heart disease. However, several major studies performed in the United States have shown that eggs do not increase heart disease risk. That means eggs can be part of a heart healthy diet. According to the Mayo Clinic : “Most healthy adults can eat up to seven eggs a week with no increase in their risk of heart disease.”

That is fortunate because eggs are a very healthy food. According to the authors of this study:

  • Studies have shown that egg protein results in better blood sugar control, better satiety (feeling of fullness), and reduced subsequent food intake in healthy and overweight individuals. In layman’s terms that means egg protein can help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
  • Egg yolks are a good source of lutein and zeaxanthin. We think of lutein and zeaxanthin as good for eye health. But, they also play an important role in protecting against oxidation, inflammation, and atherosclerosis.
  • Egg yolks also contain choline. We think of choline as good for brain and nerves. But, choline and other phospholipids in the yolk also raise HDL levels and enhance HDL function.
  • Eggs are a good source of vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin B12, riboflavin, selenium and iron.
  • Eggs contain almost twice as much monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats as saturated fats.

are eggs good for you but not sausage and baconThere is one other possible takeaway from this study. Let’s return to the differences between the Chinese study and US studies. There is one other major study showing that daily egg consumption reduces heart disease risk, and it was performed in Japan. What is different between Japan, China, and the United States you might ask. The answer is simple. They consume primarily plant-based diets.

That suggests eggs may be healthier as part of a primarily plant-based diet than they are as part of the typical American diet. In short, eggs are healthy. It’s the sausage, bacon, ham, breakfast muffin, and biscuits that are the problem.

Are eggs good for you? Yes.

For more information on heart healthy diets, read my book “Slaying The Food Myths.”

 

The Bottom Line:

A recent study looked at the effect of egg consumption on heart disease risk in China. It found that people who consumed one egg per day had significantly lower risk of heart disease risk than people who seldom or never consumed eggs.

This study has some shortcomings and may not be directly applicable to those of us in the United States. However, several major studies in the United States have concluded that egg consumption does not increase heart disease risk. That means eggs can be part of a heart healthy diet. According to the Mayo Clinic: “Most healthy adults can eat up to seven eggs a week with no increase in their risk of heart disease.” That is fortunate because eggs are a very healthy food.

There is one other major study showing that daily egg consumption reduces heart disease risk, and it was performed in Japan. What is different between Japan, China, and the United States you might ask. The answer is simple. They consume primarily plant-based diets.

That suggests eggs may be healthier as part of a primarily plant-based diet than they are as part of the typical American diet. Are eggs good for you? Yes, eggs are healthy. It’s the sausage, bacon, ham, breakfast muffin, and biscuits that are the problem.

For more information on heart healthy diets, read my book “Slaying The Food Myths.”

For more details on this study, read the article above:

 

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Health Tips From The Professor