Grape polyphenols backed for MetS benefits
Consumption of polyphenol-rich grape may offer heart health benefits for men with metabolic syndrome, according to new research data.
The study – published in the Journal of Nutrition – evaluates the effects of grape polyphenols in people with metabolic syndrome (MetS) – revealing that consumption of a freeze dried whole-grape powder led to reductions in blood pressure, improved blood flow and reduced inflammation.
Led by Dr Maria Luz Fernandez at the University of Connecticut, USA, the research team suggested that consumption of grapes may help protect heart health in people with metabolic syndrome by improving vascular functions.
Metabolic syndrome refers to a cluster of conditions including high blood pressure, raised blood sugar level, excess body fat around the waist or low HDL (the good cholesterol) and increased blood triglycerides – all of which are known to significantly increase the risk for heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
Weight Training May Help Lower Diabetes Risk in Men
Weight training alone or with aerobic exercise may lower diabetes risk in men, Harvard University research showed, while a German study found that physical activity keeps those with the disease alive longer.
Lifting weights 30 minutes a day, five times a week, may reduce a man’s chance of developing Type 2 diabetes by as much as 34 percent, and when combined with aerobic exercise like brisk walking or running, cuts the risk as much as 59 percent, according to the Harvard research posted online today in the Archives of Internal Medicine. The German study showed that people with diabetes who were moderately active had a 38 percent lower risk of dying compared with those who didn’t exercise.
Nutrition and your DNA: What is epigenetics?
You’ve heard the saying, “You are what you eat.” While there is truth behind that statement, epigenetics show diet may also influence your DNA and the DNA of future generations. That means, your grandchildren are what you eat. Now that’s a scary thought! Could your poor diet choices translate to health issues for your grandchildren? According to studies in epigenetics, the answer is yes.
What is epigenetics?
Epigenetics is an emerging science, and Duke University Professor, Randy Jirtle, answers the question of what epigenetics is in easy-to-understand terms. He compares the DNA double helix structure to the hardware of a computer, and the emigenome to the software. “It tells the computer when, where, and how to work.” The science of epigenetics takes a look at the “programs” established in our cells at the DNA level. It is this science that has provided evidence that there is something more than genetics that passes on to the next generation.
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New Study Shows No Vitamin D Link to Macular Degeneration
Low levels of vitamin D may not be lead to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), despite links in prior studies, researchers found.
Vitamin D deficiency predating macular degeneration didn’t predict onset of either “wet” neovascular or “dry” non-neovascular forms in an analysis of Medicare beneficiaries, reported by Frank A. Sloan, PhD, an economist at Duke University in Durham, N.C., and colleagues.
This held true across racial groups and through multivariate adjustment, the group reported in a research letter in the August issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology.
The findings contradict those of a cross-sectional analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III (NHANES III) reported in 2007 that indicated a significant 36% difference in early AMD risk between people with the highest and lowest vitamin D levels.
Healthy diets linked to higher childhood IQ
Children who consume a healthy diet during childhood may have slightly higher IQ scores than those who are fed on diets of unhealthy diets of ‘junk food’, according to new research.
The study – published in the European Journal of Epidemiology – examined the association between dietary patterns at 6, 15 and 24 months and intelligence quotient (IQ) scores at 8 years of age in a sample of more than 7000 children.
Led by Dr Lisa Smithers from the University of Adelaide, Australia, the research team analysed data from the UK-based in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) study, revealing that those fed healthy diets at an early age may have a slightly higher IQ, while those on heavier junk food diets may have a slightly reduced IQ.
“Diet supplies the nutrients needed for the development of brain tissues in the first two years of life, and the aim of this study was to look at what impact diet would have on children’s IQs,” said Smithers.
Study Finds Sugar, Corn Syrup Work With Reduced Calories Diet
Researchers, studying the effects of corn syrup and sugar, recently looked at the elements that can influence an individual’s diet.
The new study discovered that sugar and high fructose syrup perform as well as a reduced calorie diet. The researchers stated that, if an individual’s overall caloric intake is decreased, then the individual should lose weight while consuming the same amounts of sugar or high fructose corn syrup.
The research project was conducted by Dr. James R. Rippe, a cardiologist who has studied nutrition and weight management. He is the founder and current director of the Rippe Lifestyle Institute as well as a professor of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Central Florida. Rippe is also an adviser to organizations in the food and beverage industry like the Corn Refiners Association, which funded this particular study.
Chlorella shows immune boosting potential
Short-term supplementation with Chlorella may boost immune parameters in healthy people, say results from a randomized clinical trial from South Korea.
Eight weeks of supplementation was associated with increases in the activity of natural killer (NK) cells, said to play an important role in our innate resistance against a variety of pathogens, according to findings published in the Nutrition Journal .
“These results add to the growing literature on the beneficial immunostimulatory effect of Chlorella supplementation through a clinical human study,” wrote researchers from Yonsei University and Daesang.Co.Ltd.
Chlorella was amongst the first algae to be cultivated for food supplement purposes. Industrial production of Chlorella began in Japan shortly after the Second World War (WW2). The alga is a rich source of “amino acids, protein, minerals, vitamins, dietary fiber, and a wide range of antioxidants, bioactive substances and chlorophylls etc.”, said the Korean researchers.
Eat Olive Oil to Boost Bone Health
Osteoporosis and bone fracture rates have always been lower in the Mediterranean basin than in other parts of Europe, and now, Spanish researchers believe they have isolated one reason why: olive oil. The findings are published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
A study of 127 men who ate a Mediterranean diet rich in olives and olive oils revealed a higher level of osteocalcin in their blood. Osteocalcin is a protein found in bones, and, generally speaking, a higher level of serum osteocalcin means better bone density and overall bone health. Low bone density can lead to osteoporosis and an increased risk of falls and fractures, particularly among the elderly.
“The intake of olive oil has been related to the prevention of osteoporosis in experimental and in vitro models,” said lead author José Manuel Fernández-Real, M.D., Ph.D., in a statement. “This is the first randomized study which demonstrates that olive oil preserves bone, at least as inferred by circulating bone markers, in humans.”
