Antioxidants

Caffeine Alters Estrogen Levels in Younger Women

2012-01-30T12:27:00.000+08:00

Tony Cenicola/The New York TimesCan a dose of caffeine affect estrogen levels?

Your daily dose of caffeine may tinker with more than just your energy levels.

A new study of women ages 18 to 44 found that drinking coffee and other caffeinated beverages can alter levels of estrogen. But the impact varies by race. In white women, for example, coffee appears to lower estrogen, while in Asian women it has the reverse effect, raising levels of the hormone.

The study did not look at older women, but women of child-bearing age who enjoy a daily cuppa have little reason to fret, the researchers said. The effects of caffeine on estrogen are so minimal that in healthy women, it has no impact on ovulation or overall health, at least in the short term.

“This is important physiologically because it helps us understand how caffeine is metabolized by different genetic groups,” said Dr. Enrique Schisterman, an author of the study and senior investigator at the National Institutes of Health. “But for women of reproductive age, drinking coffee will not alter their hormonal function in a clinically significant way.”

The study, which was published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, analyzed data on more than 250 women who were examined one to three times a week over two menstrual cycles. They provided blood samples along with details about behaviors like exercise, eating and smoking. On average, they consumed about 90 milligrams of caffeine a day, equivalent to roughly one cup of coffee.

After controlling for a number of variables, like age and diet, the researchers found that among Asian women, those who had 200 milligrams or more of caffeine a day had higher estrogen levels compared to those who consumed less. A similar pattern was seen among black women, though it was not statistically significant. In white women, however, 200 milligrams or more of caffeine appeared to have a slight lowering effect on estrogen.

Nationwide, about 90 percent of women between the ages of 18 and 34 drink the caffeine equivalent of one to two cups of coffee every day.

Why caffeine would have a different impact depending on race was unclear, though Dr. Schisterman said it was likely that genetics has an influence on caffeine metabolism. But the source of caffeine also seemed to make a difference. When the researchers looked exclusively at caffeine from beverages other than coffee — like green tea and soda — it was linked to higher estrogen in all women, regardless of race. Various levels of antioxidants and other compounds in the drinks, as well as additives like milk and sugar, might play a role, he said.

Dr. Schisterman noted that while healthy, premenopausal women should not worry about caffeine intake in the short term, more research was needed to see if there could be a cumulative impact over many years or decades.

“We don’t know if there are long-term effects of these small shifts in hormonal levels,” he said.

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How Holiday Overeating Can Damage Your Skin

Is coffee cherry the new acai?

2012-01-24T13:17:00.000+08:00

Martha Cheng

Is coffee cherry the new acai? Two companies are touting antioxidant-rich coffee fruit (the pulp around the coffee bean that was previously discarded in coffee bean processing) as the superfruit du jour: KonaRed sells "Hawaiian Superfruit Antioxidant Juice" and Coffees of Hawaii started a new line of coffee cherry tea, marketed as "Hawaiian Tisane, Molokai Style." Both label their Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) levels on the packaging (if you care: 279 micromoles per gram for the tisane, 2,501 for KonaRed). Just take it all with a dose of free radicals: even antioxidants have their naysayers.
But how do they taste?
KonaRed: A blend of coffee cherry, pineapple and apple juice, and Stevia extract (a sugar substitute), this drink tastes of blue and red berry fruits, not unlike an acai smoothie. It's a little too sweet for me, though.
$3.49 for 16 ounces, available at 7-11, Down to Earth, Kokua Market and other locations, konared.com
Coffee of Hawaii's Tisane: In flavors of Jasmine Blossom Green Tea, Lavender, Lemongrass, Mamaki Ginger and Papaya Leaf Vanilla. Each successfully blends herbs with the addition of dried coffee cherry for a pleasant acidity. This would be my preferred liquid antioxidant intake.
$6.25 for 3 ounces, available at Whole Foods, coffeesofhawaii.com
As far as caffeine goes, the coffee fruit has significantly less caffeine than the bean. KonaRed has about a quarter the caffeine of a regular cup of coffee whereas the tisane has 1/100th the caffeine.

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How Holiday Overeating Can Damage Your Skin

Go for Green Tea and Coffee in 2012, With Angel Springs’ Eco Boilers

2011-12-23T08:10:00.000+08:00

Businesses looking to make an environmentally friendly New Year’s resolution for 2012 could save money, time and energy with the new eco boiler range from Angel Springs.
Angel Springs, the UK’s leading service provider of both bottled and mains-fed water coolers, is offering a no-obligation, seven-day free trial on its eco boiler range for businesses wanting to save on time and electricity bills when staff make hot drinks.
Rather than the standard office kettle – which takes minutes to boil, creates queues, and can end up being overfilled and wasting energy – eco boilers only use the exact amount of water needed to make hot drinks in the office. They provide hot water on demand – and can instantly heat up to 156 cups per hour.
Angel Springs’ innovative eco boilers take cold water directly from the mains, pass it through BRITA Filtration technology then boil it to around 100°C using fast, efficient heating elements.
Eco boilers instantly heat the amount of water necessary to fill a cup – whether staff are filling up a single mug or fetching a round of hot drinks – so no electricity is wasted by boiling more water than is needed. Eco boilers also use far less power than traditional appliances.
“Eco boilers are a great addition for any office kitchen or catering environment,” explains John Murphy, commercial director of Angel Springs. “The boilers only use the amount of water needed, so businesses save on electricity bills, and it’s environmentally friendly, because there’s no waste.
“Staff can make a hot drink immediately and return to their desks, so businesses also save a lot of time.
“By taking a no-obligation, seven-day free trial, businesses can discover for themselves just how good our eco boilers are – both in terms of efficiency and cost-savings, and in terms of making a great-tasting drink!”
Customers who sign up for a seven-day free trial in December, and decide they wish to take an Angel Springs eco boiler, can get one installed for January.
It’s a great way to be more environmentally friendly, save time and costs, and start 2012’s New Year resolutions in earnest.
Notes to editors:
Angel Springs
Angel Springs is the longest-running water cooler company in the UK, supplying customers with fresh spring water, water coolers and water boilers for 21 years. The company employs 180 staff and is committed to working and developing successful relationships with local community groups, charities and businesses across the UK.

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Can a box of chocolates actually be good for us?

How Holiday Overeating Can Damage Your Skin

2011-12-21T08:26:00.000+08:00

This time of year gives us so much to remember: family memories, decked-out décor, and eggnog-induced hilarity. But when it comes to those heavy, fatty, and sugary meals, it’s not just our brains that remember...our skin does, too.

When we flood our cells with excess sugar, metabolic byproducts called advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) can form. An AGE called glucosepane is believed to contribute to toughened, hardened collagen, which causes skin to be less flexible and supple as we age.

The best protection against excess glucosepane is to regularly consume small amounts of foods with a low glycemic index, like whole grains, leafy greens, and other fiber-rich fruits and vegetables. However, when Grandma is hovering over you, begging you to take seconds (or thirds) of her famous cornbread, it’s hard to say no. Here are a few ways to minimize the damage.

1. Slow-Cook Your Meals
Slow-cooked meals are prepared at lower temperatures than those from a stove or microwave. Lower temps result in less sugar released, so your body doesn’t produce as many AGEs during digestion.

What’s more, in a 2006 study by the American Botanical Council, vegetables were found to retain 80% of their raw antioxidant capacity when steamed, but just 30% when boiled, on average. So less cooking = more antioxidant protection and fewer AGEs—and a younger-looking you!

2. Avoid Sugary Glazes
Corn or maple syrup glazes contain high levels of sugar, which in turn increases blood sugar levels. Logically, the more blood sugar you have, the more sugar molecules you have forming AGEs.

3. Avoid White Bread and Pasta
According to an article by the Harvard School of Public Health, foods with a high glycemic index (like white bread) cause rapid spikes in blood sugar, while foods with a low glycemic index (like whole oats) are digested more slowly, causing a lower and gentler change in blood sugar.

4. Increase Antioxidant Levels with Colorful Veggies
Antioxidants combat free radical formation and even help to correct some already-produced damage to the skin. In the previously mentioned 2006 study, the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) scores of twenty-seven vegetables were compared, and artichokes, beetroot, cabbage, broccoli, red chicory, red chili, and yellow pepper had the highest scores, thus the highest antioxidant potential.

5. Pile on the Herbs and Spices
Out of fifteen featured herbs and six spices tested, garden sage, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, cumin, lemon balm, and fresh ginger were found to have the highest ORAC scores. What’s more, salad dressings containing as little as 1.5 percent lemon balm or marjoram were found to increase antioxidant capacity by 150 percent and 200 percent, respectively. What a way to make a super-healthy dish even more beneficial!

6. Drink Green Tea
Green tea has been found to provide many beneficial effects for the skin, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, and photoprotective properties. Although a study in the Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics green tea’s real anti-AGE superpower is in the heart, drinking green tea has still been proven in numerous independent scientific studies to be highly beneficial for your skin.

7. Drink Red Wine—But Just a Little
There is proof that red wine, grapes, plums, peanuts, and other plant products containing resveratrol may promote the activity of sirtuins, agents that are currently suspected to prolong the life of collagen-producing cells. However, the amount of resveratrol necessary to provide anti-aging effects hasn’t been pinpointed, and too much alcohol causes inflammation and dilates capillaries, so stick to one glass per day.

Via http://www.divinecaroline.com/22179/121119-holiday-overeating-damage-skin#ixzz1h7kkXKB4

Give the gift of good health
ab workout machines

Green Tea for Healthy Skin

2011-12-17T12:29:00.000+08:00

It's really not challenging to think about the lengths citizens head to for nice, young-looking skin. It's true, it is possible to keep your skin seeing young. After all, there are a large number of methods to do so, but why complicate matters? One of the best and most effective to help keep skin area, as well as your entire body, youthful , and energetic is drinking an effective drink taken by folks globally: green tea. Still not convinced? Check out just a few of the advantages of green tea on skin: A good number of studies have proven that green tea can certainly; provide a great deal of protection from skin cancer. It does this by seeking out the free radicals, mainly held responsible for the development of various forms of most cancers, and eliminating them from your body.Handles Seams and Loose skin skin

Poly phenols, compounds found in this sort of tea, are known powerful antioxidants, known to curb premature maturing. By reducing the aging of the skin, the poly phenols in the tea >efficiently decrease the development of seams and loose skin skin.Amend Skin Elasticity

Recorded studies have confirmed that having green tea at least two times daily enhances and retains skin flexibility, safeguarding it from becoming dry and flaky and helps keep skin elastic.Genuine Detoxifier

Green tea can help remove the negative effects of smoking and oily meals ingestion. Cigarette smoking and normal greasy food consumption also lead to premature aging of the entire body, including the skin. By removing these harmful toxins, it prevents rapid aging, hypertension, as well as reduces chances of acquiring heart disease.

Green Tea Wrecks Bacteria

Skin products with green tea extract have already been known to destroy bacteria seen on dermis. This ability was discovered after research shows that normal tea consumption resulted in less oral cavities as it damages the bacteria that causes plaque.

Green Tea Lessens Inflammation Considerably

Many forms of swelling can result in swelling and discoloration of the skin. By reducing the chances of inflammation significantly, it prevents the unsightly bumps and discoloration that appear on the inflamed areas.>

Green Tea Helps Fight Allergies

External manifestations of some allergies include discoloration and itchy rashes on the skin. It deals with the allergies from within the body, eliminating the chance of external symptoms on the skin.

Green Tea Eliminates Acne

By helping reduce fatty deposits in body and at the same time helping the body fight bacteria, green tea reduces and prevents the development of acne.cult to imagine the lengths people go to for great, young-looking skin.

Green Tea for Beautiful Skin
Dog Obedience Training

Can a box of chocolates actually be good for us?

2011-12-10T10:25:00.001+08:00

Recent headlines make it sound like the Christmas chocolates open on the kitchen counter are chock-full of amazing antioxidants. But, as with anything else, some relevant details may be hidden in the fine print.

Dark chocolate has a high level of antioxidants, called flavonoids, from the cocoa bean, but the popular milk chocolate variety unfortunately lacks this. In order to get the true health benefits, we need to be reaching for a chocolate that contains at least 70 per cent cocoa. The higher the percentage, the greater the concentration of antioxidants, but it also tends to get more bitter.

Testing has estimated that dark chocolate contains eight times the amount flavonoids antioxidants compared to strawberries. So why not get the best of both worlds, and have strawberries dipped in dark chocolate at your next party?

Chocolate has been garnering quite a bit of accolades lately and is being promoted as a true decadent food full of antioxidants that can help us find the fountain of youth. The studies surrounding dark chocolate are very promising. Help lower our bad cholesterol, while boosting our good cholesterol values, and even trimming some points off our blood-pressure readings.

Other studies have even reported chocolate to improve blood vessel flow, especially in older adults, and may even help improve blood sugar and insulin sensitivity.

Impressive. And if you just read the headlines, you probably are already halfway through that box. But unfortunately not all chocolate is the same, and the creamy milk chocolate often found wrapped in those boxes often fails to offer the potent benefits of its darker, bittersweet counterpart.

Another relevant factor is that the studies conducted were often based on very small test samples. One study indicated that people who had a diet rich in flavonoid-rich cocoa powder had slightly higher HDL-cholesterol, which is the great cleaner variety. But once you looked closer, the study was only based on 23 subjects. Not exactly the ideal study, but it was significant enough to garner headlines and was a marketer's dream.

The other factor to consider is quantity. Chocolate, mainly the milk chocolate variety, can have several addictive qualities and one little candy can lead some into temptation. The milk chocolate variety not only lacks the medicinal health benefits, but it is also laden with calories, fat and sugar. Some may even contain trans fats which we ideally want completely eliminated from our diet. Not even a little.

These are more often found in the cheaper varitities since it helps stabilize and preserve the fat. So choose wisely.

Maybe you prefer a hot mug of cocoa. But which version is actually better for you? Should you grab the box from the cupboard and make the instant variety with water, or make the old-fashioned recipe with real milk, sugar and cocoa?

When you actually look at the nutritional comparisons, you may be pleased to know that not only can the real traditional hot cocoa taste better, but is also preferred nutritionally. It offers similar calories, but tends to be lower in sugar, void of additives and preservatives, while offering our body some calcium, protein, and some flavonoids if you use the real cocoa.

Although it is only on your taste buds for a matter of seconds, chocolate can have a lingering affect.
The creamy texture can be alluring, and then our brain notices a sudden jolt in blood sugar level, and an endorphin rush which can be enticing.

But it is too short-lived. That is why some people say "one is too much, and two is never enough."
So while chocolate may offer us some interesting longterm health benefits, it is wise to choose the dark 70 per cent cocoa variety, and be careful when you have it, if you are tempted to have more than a mouthful.

Catherine McCain, RD, BSc, MBA is a consulting dietitian in private practice at 340 Brunswick St. She can be reached at 457-2722.

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How to Make Chocolate Truffle

Tea made from panda feces expected to be most expensive brew in the world
Antioxidants in Dark Chocolate

Antioxidants in marigold prevent old-age blindness

2011-12-05T18:05:00.001+08:00

London: A daily supplement derived from marigolds may prevent millions of people from losing their eyesight from age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

The potential pill, which could help many people from becoming blind due to AMD, contains three antioxidants vital to keeping the eyes healthy but not all are readily available through a normal diet. Susan Bowers, an optometrist from Coventry, said the supplement, Macu-Shield, has improved the sight of hundreds of her patients.

“I really believe this will help stop people going blind from this disease,” the Daily Express quoted her as saying.

Half a million people in Britain suffer from AMD, which causes blurring of the central vision, leaving victims unable to recog- nise faces, read or drive.

Striking after the age of 50, AMD can lead to total blindness, with about 90 percent of cases proving untreatable.

Janet Terron, 64, of Kinver, Staffs, started taking the supplement when she was diagnosed two years ago. Her mother has AMD and her grand- father lost his sight.

“The difference is fantastic,” Terron said.

A yellow pigment at the back of the eye, which can decrease as people age, is thought to protect against AMD.

ANI
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Brooke Bond launches three variants of green tea rich in anti-oxidants

6 Cancer-Fighting Superfoods

2011-12-04T09:29:00.001+08:00

Win the war

By Leslie Barrie
From Health magazine

To reduce your risk of cancer, look no further than your fridge. "All the studies on cancer and nutrition point to eating plant-based foods for their phytonutrients and other special compounds," says Richard Béliveau, PhD, chair in the prevention and treatment of cancer at the University of Québec at Montreal and author of Foods to Fight Cancer.

Aim for five to nine daily servings of all kinds of fruits and vegetables—especially these six superstars.

Broccoli

All cruciferous veggies (think cauliflower, cabbage, kale) contain cancer-fighting properties, but broccoli is the only one with a sizable amount of sulforaphane, a particularly potent compound that boosts the body's protective enzymes and flushes out cancer-causing chemicals, says Jed Fahey, ScD. A recent University of Michigan study on mice found that sulforaphane also targets cancer stem cells—those that aid in tumor growth.

Helps fight: breast, liver, lung, prostate, skin, stomach, and bladder cancers

Your Rx: The more broccoli, the better, research suggests—so add it wherever you can, from salads to omelets to the top of your pizza.

Berries

All berries are packed with cancer-fighting phytonutrients. But black raspberries, in particular, contain very high concentrations of phytochemicals called anthocyanins, which slow down the growth of premalignant cells and keep new blood vessels from forming (and potentially feeding a cancerous tumor), according to Gary D. Stoner, PhD, a professor of internal medicine at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.

Helps fight: colon, esophageal, oral, and skin cancers

Your Rx: Stoner uses a concentrated berry powder in his studies but says a half-cup serving of berries a day may help your health, too.

Tomatoes

This juicy fruit is the best dietary source of lycopene, a carotenoid that gives tomatoes their red hue, Béliveau says. And that's good news, because lycopene was found to stop endometrial cancer cell growth in a study in Nutrition and Cancer. Endometrial cancer causes nearly 8,000 deaths a year.

Helps fight: endometrial, lung, prostate, and stomach cancers

Your Rx: The biggest benefits come from cooked tomatoes (think pasta sauce!), since the heating process increases the amount of lycopene your body is able to absorb.

Walnuts

WalnutsTheir phytosterols (cholesterol-like molecules found in plants) have been shown to block estrogen receptors in breast cancer cells, possibly slowing the cells' growth, says Elaine Hardman, PhD, associate professor at Marshall University School of Medicine in Huntington, West Virginia.

Helps fight: breast and prostate cancers

Your Rx: Munching on an ounce of walnuts a day may yield the best benefits, Hardman's research found.

Garlic

Phytochemicals in garlic have been found to halt the formation of nitrosamines, carcinogens formed in the stomach (and in the intestines, in certain conditions) when you consume nitrates, a common food preservative, Béliveau says. In fact, the Iowa Women's Health Study found that women with the highest amounts of garlic in their diets had a 50 percent lower risk of certain colon cancers than women who ate the least.

Helps fight: breast, colon, esophageal, and stomach cancers

Your Rx: Chop a clove of fresh, crushed garlic (crushing helps release beneficial enzymes), and sprinkle it into that lycopene-rich tomato sauce while it simmers.

Beans

A study out of Michigan State University found that black and navy beans significantly reduced colon cancer incidence in rats, in part because a diet rich in the legumes increased levels of the fatty acid butyrate, which in high concentrations has protective effects against cancer growth. Another study, in the journal Crop Science, found dried beans particularly effective in preventing breast cancer in rats.

Helps fight: breast and colon cancers

Your Rx: Add a serving—a half-cup—of legumes a few times a week (either from a can or dry beans that've been soaked and cooked) to your usual rotation of greens or other veggies.

What not to eat: Animal fats

While researchers are still trying to determine which foods have the most cancer- preventing benefits, we do know what not to eat if you want to protect yourself, says Cheryl Forberg, RD, author of Positively Ageless:

Animal fats: Meat, cheese, and butter can be rich in saturated fat, which has been linked to obesity—a big cancer predictor. Opt for leaner protein sources, such as fish, low-fat dairy, and those good-for-you beans.

What not to eat: Processed meats

A ballpark hot dog or a few slices of bacon once in a while won't kill you, but don't make them a staple of your diet. Some cured meats tend to be high in nitrites and nitrates, preservatives that can, in large amounts, potentially increase your risk of stomach and other cancers.

What not to drink: Excessive alcohol

Stop after one drink! Too much tippling is associated with an increased risk of cancers of the mouth, esophagus, and breast.

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Orion Therapeutics Debuts Breakthrough Antioxidant Cantavita

Tea made from panda feces expected to be most expensive brew in the world

2011-11-29T07:41:00.003+08:00

BY Rheana Murray
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Liu Xingzhe/EPA

Pandas snack on bamboo, which contains an element that can prevent cancer.

Tea time

The world’s most expensive cup of tea is packed with cancer-fighting elements, but it’s not without a stomach-turning catch — the tea leaves get a boost from panda feces.

Wildlife expert An Yashi is launching the special blend of green tea, which could cost up to $36,000 per pound, Australia’s SBC.com reported.

Yashi, a college lecturer at Sinchuan University, said using panda excrement to fertilize the tea plants has a health-promoting upside because it contains nutrients from one of the bear’s favorite meals — bamboo.

“Pandas have a very poor digestive system and only absorb about 30 percent of everything they eat: that means their excrement is rich in fibers and nutrients,” said Yashi, noting that those nutrients make their way into the tea through the fertilization process.

“Just like green tea, bamboo contains an element that can prevent cancer — and enhance green tea’s anti-cancer effects — if it is used as fertilizer for the tea.”

Yashi, who collects the dung at a panda breeding center in southern China, said he hopes the tea will snag him a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records once it’s released.

But he’s not the first to use feces to fertilize tea plants. Kopi Luwak, the world’s most expensive coffee, is made from droppings of the Indonesian civet cat.

rmurray@nydailynews.com

Nutritional Supplements Can Deliver Many Antioxidants

Brooke Bond launches three variants of green tea rich in anti-oxidants

2011-11-27T10:08:00.002+08:00

Brooke Bond Taj Mahal has launched the green tea range with three exciting flavours, Honey Lemon Green Tea, Earl Grey Green Tea and Darjeeling Green Tea. The range is available at high-end retail outlets and super markets in packs of 10 and 25 individually wrapped tea bags and priced at Rs 40 and Rs 90 respectively.

Rich in anti-oxidants, the variants offer a refreshing treat for health-conscious tea drinkers. The honey lemon version is a delicate and light refreshing green tea with a dash of honey and a juicy lemon flavour. The earl grey tea is an invigorating green tea blend with the extract of the bergamot orange fruit and Darjeeling tea is a classic variant with long Darjeeling leaves and a delicate aroma that is sure to overwhelm one’s senses.

Considering the growing health consciousness amongst consumers in India, the company launched green tea to offer tea aficionados a healthy drink in the hot beverage segment. The tea has been carefully selected from the finest gardens providing quality blends with a superior taste.

Commenting on the launch Arun Srinivas, category head, beverages, HUL said, “We seek to constantly engage our consumers with new and innovative products to cater to their changing lifestyles and needs. We at Brooke Bond Taj Mahal are expanding our product portfolio and in line with this are targeting the health and wellness market with the latest range of our offering - Taj Mahal Green Tea.”

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Coffee vs. Tea: Which Is Healthier?

Orion Therapeutics Debuts Breakthrough Antioxidant Cantavita

2011-11-15T09:50:00.003+08:00

Orion Therapeutics Debuts Breakthrough Antioxidant Cantavita

Orion Therapeutics, LLC, a Michigan-based biotech company, has introduced Cantavita ®, the first time-release “ultra” antioxidant dietary supplement.

FIRST TIME-RELEASE ANTIOXIDANT SUPPLEMENT - Frederick A. Valeriote, Ph.D., chief scientific officer of Orion Therapeutics, LLC, shown in his laboratory, conducted a six-year research study in the development of Cantavita, the first time-release "ultra" antioxidant dietary supplement. (Photo: Business Wire)

A tablet taken twice daily, Cantavita neutralizes the five major forms of health-damaging free radicals that have been linked to many serious diseases. Many research studies have concluded that elimination of free radicals modulates and maintains healthy cells, tissue and body fluids. Orion Therapeutics believes that Cantavita, a nutraceutical dietary product, will improve general health, wellness and energy levels.

Brunswick Laboratories of Southborough, Massachusetts and Knight Scientific Limited in Plymouth, England have independently verified Cantavita’s industry-leading antioxidant test scores. Manufacturing is done in a current Good Manufacturing Procedures compliant facility in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

“Cantavita is a breakthrough product among dietary supplements,” explained Frederick A. Valeriote, Ph.D., chief scientific officer of Orion Therapeutics as well as CEO of 21^st Century Therapeutics, a biomedical research firm in Ferndale, Michigan. “Studies show antioxidants are most effective when continuously present in the body,” he said. Cantavita’s time-release formulation maintains a healthy level of antioxidants, providing users with around-the-clock protection.”

“Free radicals are continuously challenging your body,” Valeriote noted. “Cantavita’s unique time-release properties provide an ongoing defense against them.”

“At present Cantavita is not targeted to help any particular disease, but we are discussing clinical trials for cancer with medical oncologists in several countries,” he said.

Cantavita was developed following a six-year research study and the awarding of a U.S. patent in 2009. It’s tablet form and two-per-day regimen makes it convenient, tasteless and low-cost. A single dose costs less than a cup of coffee.

Available from www.cantavita.com, anyone interested can subscribe to Cantavita’s email newsletter from the home page.

About Orion Therapeutics, LLC

Orion Therapeutics is a Troy, Michigan-based biotech company with a mission to discover, develop and commercialize novel products derived from neutraceutical and food supplement materials to improve human health. Visit www.oriontherapeutics.com.

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

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50068810&lang=en

Orion Therapeutics, LLC
Frederick A. Valeriote, 586-863-8298
fred.valeriote@cantavita.com
or
Martin J. Habalewsky Public Relations Consultant
Marty Habalewsky, 586-713-8941
mhabalewsky@yahoo.com

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Serbian doctors discover that strawberries protect against ulcer and cancer Enjoy the Rich Flavor of Antioxidant Coffee

Nutritional Supplements Can Deliver Many Antioxidants

2011-11-08T12:25:00.003+08:00

By Better Health Research News Desk

You probably know antioxidants are good for your well-being. If you've looked for foods and nutritional supplements that contain them and had trouble finding any, you're not alone. It can be tough to track them down, much less to know what they are.

Basically, an antioxidant is any compound that prevents oxidative damage in your body, typically by absorbing highly charged ions called free radicals.

Here are some of the most important, antioxidant-delivering vitamins and nutrients to look for in the herbal supplements and multivitamins you buy:

- Vitamin C: This compound is important for boosting immunity and helping your cells grow and divide. What you may not know, though, is that it is also a powerful antioxidant. Both the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) and the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) recommend consuming plenty of it each day.

- Vitamin E: Found in nuts, sunflower oil, wheat germ, spinach and other kinds of produce, vitamin E can help prevent oxidative damage, the ODS states.

- Quercetin: This is a compound that gives certain fruits and vegetables their color. It can also be found in dietary supplements.

- Selenium: This element is an antioxidant, too. Most vitamin supplements contain some selenium.

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Panasonic DMC FZ 150 Review
Enjoy the Rich Flavor of Antioxidant Coffee

Coffee vs. Tea: Which Is Healthier?

2011-11-07T15:51:00.004+08:00

Q: I wanted to know if coffee or tea is better for you?

A: For this question, we turned to Chris Kilham, Medicine Hunter. Here’s what he had to say.

For centuries, coffee has been praised for its invigorating properties. And it is truly healthy for you. Coffee stimulates the flow of blood in the brain and decreases mental fatigue. It rouses the mental faculties.

However, when comparing coffee and tea – and which one is healthier – it all depends.

For the most part, coffee is healthier for you. The majority of people who drink tea, drink it black, and there’s no question that naturally occurring compounds in coffee are exceptionally good for you. And here's why:

Two large cups of coffee, or 300 milligrams of caffeine per day, can improve a negative mood. Drinking coffee appears to reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease – coffee drinkers have about three to six times lower risk of developing the disease compared to non-coffee drinkers. The reduction risk improves as consumption increases from four ounces to 24 ounces per day.

Research into the chemical properties of coffee show that a cup of Joe contains potent, protective antioxidants, which inhibit the rusting of cells in our bodies. Oxidative damage is associated with diabetes, arthritis and cancer, among many other health issues, and antioxidants are helpful in reducing the risk of some diseases and cell life.

Coffee is especially high in one group of antioxidants, flavonoids. These compounds exhibit protective power against cardiovascular disease by reducing the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, or the ‘bad’ cholesterol. So, coffee protects against heart attacks and strokes.

It is known that coffee stimulates bowel activity, but it also reduces the risk of digestive disorders – like gallstones and cirrhosis of the liver. More impressively, coffee has a protective effect against colon and rectal cancers.

And coffee is even safe for pregnant women. There is no increased risk of miscarriage as a result of moderate coffee drinking, and there is no known association with delayed fetal growth or increased rates of birth defects.

But if you’re drinking green tea, which is simply tea that hasn’t been fermented, then I would probably have to say that green tea is the healthier drink. It’s rich in flavenols, which are lost when the tea is fermented.

The bottom line: If you’re talking about coffee and black tea, coffee is the healthier choice. If you’re a green tea drinker, green tea is the healthier choice.

Serbian doctors discover that strawberries protect against ulcer and cancer
Canon SX 40 HS

Enjoy the Rich Flavor of Antioxidant Coffee

2011-11-03T22:09:00.002+08:00

Based in United States, Antioxidant Café offers refreshing, delicious and flavorful coffee that contains six times more health benefits. The striking feature of the coffee is that it made by 100% handpicked Arabica beans and contains six times more antioxidants (i.e., polyphenols) compared to any other premium brand of coffee available in the market.

The antioxidants present in the coffee beans are always lost with the traditional roasting process but with our triply patented roasting techniques, all the antioxidants present in the coffee beans are always retained and offers plethora of health benefit to the consumers. The benefits of consuming antioxidant coffee are,

• It helps against various diseases like Parkinson's, Cancer, Heart diseases, Alzheimer, Cell damage, Ageing and DNA damage.

• The consumption of coffee is also helpful in maintaining healthy heart, minimizing neurological disorders, reducing diabetes, fighting with free radicals, increasing stamina and energy and preventing protein, DNA and LDL oxidation.

• The regular consumption of antioxidant coffee provides plethora of health benefits like increase in memory performance, increase in attention, decrease in risk of heart diseases, increase in intraocular performance, increase in muscular recovery, increase in physical performance, and decrease in the risk of liver diseases.

The antioxidants present in the Arabica beans are Polyphenols and these are further divided into various types like flavonoids, flavinols, anthocyanins, and phenolic acids. The scientists of Antioxidant Café had spent 7 years in inventing the roasting technique that is helpful in preserving all the antioxidants present in the coffee beans.

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Antioxidant Juices: Which Packs the Most Punch?

Serbian doctors discover that strawberries protect against ulcer and cancer

2011-10-28T04:59:00.002+08:00

Strawberries protect stomach mucous from damage caused by alcohol in high concentration, the latest study that four Serbian doctors worked on together with their colleagues from Italy and Spain showed. The study has been publicized recently in a reputable international journal ‘Plos ONE.’

‘Strawberries contain powerful antioxidants thus preventing stomach mucous damages caused by free radicals. We proved that antioxidants from strawberries prevent lipid peroxidation’, Doctor Dragana Dekanski, study co-author explains for ‘Blic’ She is doing medical research with the ‘Galenika’.

She says that experiments were performed on laboratory animals, rats, which were given 40 milligrams per kilo of strawberry extract what is equivalent to daily consume of this fruit by a human being of half a kilo. The rats were given the extract during ten days and after that period they were given alcohol of large concentration.

Results of the research showed that the degree of stomach mucous damage of the animals that were given strawberries was far less than with those that were not given the extract’, Doctor Dekanski says.

‘Apart from alcohol stomach mucous can be damaged by numerous medical drugs such as aspirin and other non steroidal antirheumatic drugs. Strong stress can also cause damage. Damage mucous can result in numerous diseases such as ulcer, gastritis or even cancer of the stomach. Consume of strawberries prevents or delays appearance of those diseases. It is important, however, what strawberries are being taken. The best are those with high level of anthocyanin’, Doctor Dekanski says.

Research co-author Italian Professor Maurizio Battino says that the research was actually aimed to reveal molecules protecting stomach mucous from harmful effect of various agenses.

International research
The whole study over positive effect by strawberries on stomach mucous was elaborated by Professor Maurizio Battino from Italy and Doctor Dragana Dekanski. Apart from them the research also included Serbian Doctor Slavica Ristic of ‘Galenika’, Professor Natasa Petronijevic and Doctor Nevena Radonjic of the Medical Faculty in Belgrade. Apart from Serbian and Italian researchers, the study included researchers from Spain as well.

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Guavas are the 'ultimate superfood'

Healing Cancer World Summit

2011-10-22T10:44:00.002+08:00

Registration is going on for the Healing Cancer World Summit Online Event

Over the last two weeks, the Internet has been buzzing about a controversial and powerful online event that is starting on October 25th, 2011.

The topic - natural and integrative cancer techniques - has never quite been explored in the way it will be during the event.

For 5 nights, Kevin Gianni - health author, organizer and host - has asked 9 of the top natural cancer doctors and researchers to share what they're doing in their clinics throughout the world that they say can help prevent or even treat cancer.

During the program attendees will...

- Find out what therapies these doctors and experts are using that they say can prevent and even treat cancers naturally.

- Discover herbs and supplements that are scientifically known to prevent cancer.

- Discover scientific and documented proof that natural cancer treatments work.

- Learn how to detoxify and cleanse the body naturally... and safely.

- And much more.

This group of experts that is presenting is a who's who of doctors, nutritionists, advocates and survivors that will share their science, research and stories to share the options that are available that you may never have heard about.

Some of the 9 experts include Dr. Nicolas Gonzalez, Dr. Francisco Contreras, Dr. Leigh Erin Connealy, Dr. Thomas Lodi, Charlotte Gerson, Mike Adams, Burton Goldberg, and more. Combined, this group has had decades of experience working with cancer patients in their clinics.

Like I said in the beginning of this message, the event start on October 25th, 2011, so now is the time to sign up. The event is free and if you can watch a YouTube video or listen to an MP3, you will be able to be a part of it.

To register now, all you have to do is visit this page here...

Healing Cancer World Summit Registration

Also, the event is free, but if you'd like to have the recordings of this event in your own library there is a special option for you to purchase the downloads once you sign up.

When you register now, you'll also get 3 special bonuses delivered to you right away.

The event registration is open until October 25th, but be sure to register early and you'll get three special bonus gifts that you can access right away while you're waiting for the kickoff.

Antioxidant Juices: Which Packs the Most Punch?

Lower your breast cancer risk with the right foods

2011-10-19T10:11:00.002+08:00

By Holly Pevzner

You can lower your risk for breast cancer by reaching for the right foods, according to five new studies.

"A woman can cut her chance of cancer by as much as two-thirds with good nutrition and weight management," says Cheryl L. Rock, Ph.D., R.D., professor of family and preventive medicine at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine. "Even a woman who carries the BRCA1 or 2 gene (two genetic mutations that boost a woman's risk) can reduce her risk."

Fill your diet with lean protein and plentiful produce — to help keep your weight in check and provide cancer-fighting compounds. Good choices:

1. Salmon

Taking fish-oil supplements for at least 10 years can shrink your risk of ductal carcinoma, the most common type of breast cancer, according to a study in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention. It's thought that the omega-3 fats in fish oil reduce inflammation, which may contribute to breast cancer. But you can skip the supplement aisle, say researchers, and eat about eight ounces of oily fish (salmon, sardines, tuna) a week.

2. Olive Oil

Here's another reason to reach for extra- virgin olive oil: When researchers in Barcelona gave rats with breast cancer a diet in which fat came predominantly from extra-virgin olive oil (vs. corn oil), they found that the olive oil's antioxidants and oleic acid (a mono- unsaturated fat) quelled the growth of malignant cells.

3. Broccoli

Sulforaphane, a compound in broccoli, reduced the number of breast cancer stem cells (which cause cancer spread and recurrence) in mice, according to research from the University of Michigan. Eating broccoli may not deliver enough sulforaphane to achieve the same effect, but to get the most you can, eat your broccoli raw or briefly steam or stir-fry the green florets. (Boiling destroys some of the sulforaphane.)

4. Parsley

University of Missouri scientists found that this herb can actually inhibit cancer-cell growth. Animals that were given apigenin, a compound abundant in parsley (and in celery), boosted their resistance to developing cancerous tumors. Experts recommend adding a couple pinches of minced fresh parsley to your dishes daily.

5. Coffee

Drinking about two 12-ounce coffees a day may lower your risk of an aggressive form of breast cancer, says a May 2011 study in Breast Cancer Research.

"One possibility is that coffee's antioxidants protect cells from damage that can lead to cancer," says study author Jingmei Li, Ph.D. More research is needed, so don't up your intake based on these figures just yet.

(EatingWell is a magazine and website devoted to healthy eating as a way of life. Online at http://www.eatingwell.com.)

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Antioxidant Juices: Which Packs the Most Punch?

Guavas are the 'ultimate superfood'

2011-10-15T16:39:00.002+08:00

A new study led by an Indian origin researcher has found that guavas are the 'ultimate superfood' with the highest concentration of antioxidants that protect against cell damage which ages skin and can cause cancer.

A series of tests conducted on Indian fruits, including Himalayan apples and pomegranates, bananas from the south and grapes from Maharashtra, found that the guava, the poor man's fruit in India, has the highest concentration of antioxidants as compared to all the other fruits.

According to scientists from India's National Institute in Hyderabad, the Indian plum, the custard apple and India's beloved mangoes, come after guavas in antioxidant richness.

The study found that while there is a presence of antioxidant concentrations of just under 500 milligrams per 100 grams in guavas, 330mg in plums and 135mg in pomegranates, apples have a quarter of the antioxidants in guavas and bananas merely have a tiny fraction with 30 mg per 100 grams.

Watermelons and pineapples were found to offer the least protection for the body's fight against free radicals, which can cause cell damage, whereas mangoes, despite a high fructose content, have 170 mg of antioxidants, which is more than three times that of papaya, and grapes were found to be three times more beneficial to the body than oranges.

"Guava is a rich source of antioxidants, a rich source of fibre. It's a poor mans fruit because they're quite cheap. A guava a day keeps a doctor away," the Telegraph quoted Dr Sreeramulu as saying.

The study will be published in the Food Research International journal.

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A needle's worth of relief: Acupuncture gains favor

Antioxidant Juices: Which Packs the Most Punch?

2011-10-11T15:05:00.003+08:00

Intensive study on the effects of antioxidants has shown that these compounds can help rid the body of free radicals, which may come from unhealthy processed foods or environmental contaminants. These free radicals contribute to aging and cellular degeneration, which is why antioxidants can be important ingredients in maintaining a person’s health and vitality.

Image courtesy of noshit-mag

Antioxidants can also help increase the body’s immunity against deadly diseases such as heart ailments, asthma, and cancer. Moreover, they can keep your body working at optimal levels, potentially combating degenerative conditions such as diabetes, dementia, and eye diseases.

Foods rich in antioxidants include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fish oil. Common antioxidants available in foods include vitamins A, C and E, which can be found in carrots, pumpkin, orange and other citrus fruits, and green leafy vegetables. Among the best foods for antioxidant content are fruits and fruit juices that have deep, dark colors, such as grapes and berries.

One particular berry, the acai berry, contains one of the highest concentrations of antioxidants of all foods. Native to Central and South America, acai not only contains antioxidants but also protein, omega fats, electrolytes, and amino acids.

For its array of healthy components, acai berry has been dubbed the wonder berry of the century. For example, the proteins in acai help boost growth, stamina, and cell regeneration. Its omega fats also have the ability to regulate cholesterol level, thus fighting heart disease and stroke. Electrolytes in acai berries also help maintain proper fluid regulation, muscle operation, and nerve impulse transmission in the body.

Unfortunately, the average person needs to consume oranges, grapes, vegetables, and other antioxidant-rich foods in large amounts in order to acquire the full benefits from antioxidants. However, there is a way to enjoy a large quantity of antioxidants in a simple and convenient form – Monavie.

This unique antioxidant supplement is formulated in several blends, all having one common ingredient, acai berry. In addition to acai berry, Monavie includes antioxidants from 18 other nutrient-dense fruits such as orange, grape, banana, blueberry, and cranberry. It is also fortified with Vitamins A, C, E, and B complex. You only need to consume a convenient dose of just two ounces of liquid per day to benefit from its array of antioxidants. This combined with a proper diet and exercise allows you to enjoy a healthier lifestyle using the power of antioxidants.

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Weight Loss with Antioxidant Rich Dark Chocolate Keeps Dieters From Falling Off Their Diets

A needle's worth of relief: Acupuncture gains favor

2011-10-08T18:01:00.003+08:00

Written by: Jon Walker

It starts with a needle and ends with relief.

That's the intent as Dr. Dawn Flickema treats Evelyn Bultsma at Avera McKennan's Prairie Center. Bultsma has chronic pain in her left foot and a ringing in her ears that's annoyed her most of her 62 years.

Relief on Friday would come by acupuncture, an ancient art making a modern comeback. Flickema pushed a needle into the outer side of Bultsma's right leg at the knee. She pushed in a second nearby, two more at the ankle and four on the inner leg. She did the same on the left leg, then put needles into each hand and shoulder, and finally, needle 21, in the top of Bultsma's head.

"Sometimes they hurt. Sometimes I barely feel it," Bultsma said before dropping into a 20-minute nap.

Flickema, a graduate of the University of South Dakota School of Medicine, has practiced family medicine in Sioux Falls for 14 years. She didn't think much of acupuncture until her own back pain made her a believer. She went back to school and began offering the treatment a year ago. Now it's half her workload, with perhaps 100 patients today seeking treatment from her. She devotes two days a week to it at the Prairie Center.

"People are looking for alternatives other than prescription medicine to treat chronic problems, diseases and conditions," she said.

Acupuncture doesn't replace traditional medicine, which is most of Flickema's work at McGreevy Clinic. Nor does it solve conditions such as fibromyalgia, though it might help.

The practice rests on the thought that healing emanates outward from the central nervous system. Whereas traditional Western medicine addresses a specific area of the body, such as a sore shoulder, acupuncture uses needles to tap pressure points nowhere near the source of pain.

Flickema uses a needle that is 4 inches long and about as skinny as a strand of hair. She sticks it about a half-inch deep into the flesh, then twists it to access a peripheral nerve.

"I can tell when I'm there. You can feel the resistance," she said.

The needles go in along a system of 12 meridians that trace to Chinese thinking. The meridians run vertically, head to toe and in both arms. Tapping the meridians allows communication in the nervous system to stimulate pain relief.

Pain Relief World Summit 2011

2011-09-10T09:04:00.002+08:00

The Pain Relief World Summit for 2011 is now accepting online registrants. It is a free online event on how to ease your pain using a drug free technique called meridian tapping or simply meridian tapping.

Pain can be very troublesome to those afflicted by it. The cause for most cases can be traced to unsolved emotional issues which manifests as pain. Depending on the severity of the pain, you'll be deprived of the happiness of living life fully - quality time for your family is affected, you won't get enough sleep, you'll not be as productive or efficient as the people without pain.

Whether you have arthritis, fibromyalgia, migraine, frequent headaches, back pains, or whatever pain you are experiencing, the Pain Relief World Summit online event will guide you to the effective tapping technique to relieve you of pain and thereby allowing you to have a more joyous life.

More details on the pain relief world summit can be found here where you can download some bonuses.

Researchers Design 'Green' Extraction Method for Antioxidants in Grape Skins

2011-09-10T00:54:00.003+08:00

Newswise — FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – University of Arkansas researchers are taking grape skins left from making wine and juice and using “green” processes to extract powerful antioxidants that can be used in health products.

“The goal is to get a value-added food supplement product,” said Jerry King, professor of chemical engineering at the University of Arkansas. Beverages such as grape juice and wine contain natural antioxidants, which have anti-inflammatory properties when ingested. However, while juices and wine contain some of the antioxidants, up to 50 percent remain in the waste material left behind when the skins, stems and seeds get filtered away. “These are valuable components that don’t go into the juice or wine,” King said.

Grape waste means business: The United States generates about 15 million tons of grape waste each year, and most of it currently ends up as compost or animal feed. Extracting products with potential health benefits from the waste has commercial interest.

However, traditional extraction methods use organic solvents, which can be expensive, toxic and difficult to dispose. King and his colleague, food science professor Luke Howard, received $350,000 over four years from the U.S. Department of Agriculture as part of an interdepartmental collaboration to employ a method using pressurized water to extract the antioxidants. For the past four years, they have worked with graduate students Jeana Monrad and Keerthi Srinivas to optimize these extraction methods using a technique called subcritical water processing.

To do this, scientists heat the water under pressure, which allows it to remain liquid at high temperatures and act as an extraction solvent. They also used organic acids to isolate certain types of antioxidants.

The researchers faced several challenges with this method, because natural antioxidants can break down at high temperatures. They developed a process of continuous extraction that allows for high flow rates to minimize antioxidant degradation and maximize their breakdown.
The researchers created an extraction method that not only increases the efficiency of extraction over ethanol alone, but also produces antioxidant compounds that are smaller in size, which are more effectively adsorbed by the body.

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Pain Relief World Summit Event

Green Tea’s EGCG Boosts Immunity, Fights Inflammation

Mind your brain, keep it active

2011-09-04T22:15:00.003+08:00

Dr Shikha Sharma

Keeping the mind active and the brain healthy is one of the most important aspects of health in the older years of your life. Body degeneration is an active and constant process, but then the body also works just as actively and constantly to regenerate. This also applies to the brain. However, if the brain does not get the raw materials it requires, the regenerative process suffers.

There are certain things that the brain requires to stay healthy:

1. Brain-specific nutrition: The brain is literally made of ‘good’ fats – a lot of its nerve coverings are manufactured from good fats and oils. Physically, brain development is very rapid from the moment of birth to the age of two years. So a baby needs lots of good fats to ensure that it has the necessary supply of essential oils for brain development.

Good fats are also responsible for neurons and the entire nervous system. Good fats include unprocessed, unrefined oils from nuts and oil seeds. Seeds are a treasure trove of healthy minerals, B vitamins and folic acid. They are a naturally rich source of iron and zinc, and are also good sources of healthy protein.

Sesame seeds are an excellent source of calcium – particularly important during adolescence, childbirth and menopause. All seeds are a source of vitamin E. So eat almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, chilgoza, hazel nuts and pistachios. Add sunflower and flax seeds to the mix. Unhealthy oils and fats are transfats, over-processed and refined fats, deep fried and refried oils, adulterated oils and excess saturated fats.

Antioxidants are very important for the brain. This is because the brain is susceptible to tissue problems due to its high level of work and regeneration. Antioxidants ensure that the brain has enough cleansing and detoxifying agents to keep it clean and healthy. Good antioxidants for the brain are organic fruits and fresh vegetables, green tea (without milk and sugar) and some herbs.

Good proteins are just as important for brain development. These include sprouts of organic dals like mung, channa, lobhia, moth and so on. Tofu, soya milk and organic lean fish are good sources too. The brain requires a lot of carbs to function effectively. Starving makes the brain dull, but be warned – so does gluttony. Good carbs are fruits, dry fruits like dates, figs and raisins, whole grains like dalia, oats (not the instant variety), unpolished rice, barley, whole corn and millets.

2. Herbs that facilitate brain regeneration: These include yastimadhu (liquorice or licorice), guduchi, shankhapushpi, mandukaparni, chitrak root, brahmi, vacha, haritaki, kustha and shatavari.

3. Oxygen: Oxygen is vital for brain health. Aerobic exercise, pranayams, dancing, active playing… all of these contribute to lung expansion, thus ensuring that oxygen reaches the brain.

4. Mental exercise: Challenging, enjoyable problem-solving puzzles, learning new languages, learning a new skills… all this creates a very healthy and active brain.

5. Physical exercise: Physical exercise promotes blood circulation to the brain and helps the regenerative process.

6. The moderation of certain lifestyle hazards: Food and alcohol addictions, lack of sleep, too much anxiety, nicotine, over-medication and a sedentary lifestyle make us dull.

Brain health is a combination of all the factors above. Keeping your brain healthy also promotes overall health.

Know your brain
1. Your brain forms 2 per cent of your total body weight but uses 20 per cent of your body’s energy – enough to light a 25-watt bulb.
2. The brain uses glucose as fuel. When you work late, eat fruits and dried fruits like raisins, prunes, dates and apricots. They provide healthy sugar and minerals.
3. Alcohol weakens connections between neurons. Take multivitamins and detox the liver frequently if you drink alcohol regularly.
4. The brain produces 70,000 thoughts a day on an average.
5. Humans make new neurons throughout their lives in response to mental activity. So join hobby classes or a social welfare activity.
6. A study of one million students showed that students who ate lunches that did not include artificial flavours, preservatives and colours did 14 per cent better on IQ tests than students who ate lunches with these additives.

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Kush Boys Say Green Tea in Chronic Ice “Hemp Iced Tea” is Good Medicine
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BALANCING YOUR HEALTH: Green tea has many health benefits

2011-09-01T19:21:00.003+08:00

By Dr. Linda Johnson

Green tea is a botanical that has been shown to protect people from many types of cancer, reduces inflammation, helps protect the liver, boosts metabolism and shows many other positive health benefits.

Second only to water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world. China and India were among the first countries to grow tea. Main varieties of teas like green, black and oolong are processed differently. Green tea differs as it is made from unfermented leaves and contains the highest concentration of antioxidants called polyphenols.

We all know how important antioxidants are in our diet. They scavenge those nasty free radicals that alter cells and DNA. Some free radicals occur naturally in our body, but we are exposed to many environmental toxins such as radiation, cigarette smoke, air pollution and the sun.

The aging process and many diseases have shown to be impacted by free radicals. It only makes sense to do as much as we can to neutralize them and reduce or prevent the damage free radicals are capable of doing.

Green tea has been used as a medicine in China for more than 4,000 years. They used it to treat everything from depression to headaches. There have been many scientific studies conducted on humans and animals providing positive health benefits of drinking green tea.

Green tea is high in catechin polyphenols, especially epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is an antioxidant that inhibits the growth of cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. Green tea is so high in EGCG because the leaves are steamed, which prevents this compound from being oxidized. Other teas such as black and oolong do not have this benefit because the EGCG is converted into other compounds due to the fermentation process. This high antioxidant level has also been shown to lower LDL cholesterol levels and decrease the chance of getting a blood clot. Blood clots are the leading cause of heart attacks and strokes.

You have probably heard that you should drink a glass of red wine every night because of its resveratrol effects. Resveratrol is also a polyphenol, but green tea contains a type of polyphenol that is twice as strong as resveratrol. So if you really don't like wine, green tea is much better for you in the long run.

Green tea has been reported to be helpful in rheumatoid arthritis due to its anti-inflammatory properties. It also seems to help prevent tooth decay and food poisoning because of its bacteria-destroying abilities.

Diabetes is so prevalent these days in children and adults because of the sugar laden diets and obesity levels. Green tea has been used to control blood sugar levels. Animal studies suggest that green tea may help prevent the development of Type 1 diabetes and slow the progression once it has developed. It may help to regulate glucose in the body.

Another healthful property of green tea besides its antioxidant effects include L-theanine, an amino acid that has calming effects on the nervous system.

Green tea can interact with medications and you should check with your physician to make sure it is safe to add to your regimen. Certain health problems such as kidney disorders, stomach ulcers, psychological disorders and heart problems can be aggravated by green tea.

Pregnant and breast-feeding women should also check with their doctor first before ingesting. Caffeine in green tea can be 30 to 60 mg in eight ounces of tea, compared to more than 100 mg of caffeine in eight ounces of coffee.

Although it's less, people sensitive to caffeine should opt for a decaffeinated variety. It still has the same benefits.

Dr. Linda Johnson is a naturopathic doctor based in Alamogordo. Contact her at 434-6400 or via email at balancedhealth@live.com.

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Tapping Pain Relief World Summit

Obesity, Blood Pressure, Smoking May Shrink Your Brain

Green Tea’s EGCG Boosts Immunity, Fights Inflammation

2011-08-31T12:29:00.004+08:00

by John Phillip

The Chinese have known the healing power of green tea for generations. Many believe that the unprocessed tea leaves can help to prevent or even cure many chronic diseases including heart disease, cancer and dementia.

Volumes of scientific evidence now provide compelling proof that the active polyphenol found in green tea (EGCG) has the power to increase the number of regulatory immune support T-cells. T-cells play a crucial role in the suppression of autoimmune diseases including the terminal condition ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). Research published in the journal Immunology Letters demonstrates that regular consumption of green tea can help your innate immune system to operate at peak efficiency to fight invading pathogens.

Green Tea Polyphenols Fight Autoimmune Disorders

Autoimmune diseases occur as the result of an imbalance in the immune system that results in the body mounting an attack against itself. Immune T-cells are critical in providing a defensive shield that can protect against cancer proliferation and a host of diseases where the body recognizes healthy cells and organs as foreign. T-cells also help to control systemic inflammation and can dampen the inappropriate response to normal cells seen in autoimmune conditions.

Scientists conducting this study found that EGCG found in green tea was responsible for a significantly higher number and frequency of regulatory T-cells found in the spleen and lymph nodes, helping to control the immune response. They found that EGCG did not directly affect the genetic DNA, but did influence gene expression that determines how the genetic material is switched on or off as a response to food consumption. Epigenetic regulation is a rapidly emerging science that explains the extensive health benefits seen with a natural diet.

EGCG From Green Tea Extinguishes Inflammatory Flames, Prevents Cancer Development

Emily Ho, associate professor and research author from the Oregon State University Department of Nutrition commented with reference to EGCG, “This appears to be a natural, plant-derived compound that can affect the number of regulatory T-cells, and in the process improve immune function.” Researchers found a dual role for green tea polyphenols include boosting T-cell production and fighting cellular inflammation. Both mechanisms are critical in fighting conditions exacerbated by chronic inflammation such as cancer and heart disease as well as autoimmune disorders.

Studies that involve regular consumption of naturally occurring foods and extracts are rapidly mounting to explain the importance of the foods we eat on our genetic health. Genes are expressed immediately following each meal and directly influence the progression of disease and the prevention of most chronic conditions.

Researchers conducting this study concluded, “Epigenetic regulation can be potentially exploited in generating suppressive regulatory T cells for therapeutic purposes, and is of significant clinical importance for the suppression of autoimmune diseases.” Although this study did not publish the dietary equivalent of green tea used to achieve their results, similar studies have recommended consuming 2 to 4 cups of green tea daily or 500 mg of a standardized EGCG extract for optimal health benefits.

Source:

Obesity a culprit as strokes rise in pregnant women
Pain Relief World Summit Event

Kush Boys Say Green Tea in Chronic Ice “Hemp Iced Tea” is Good Medicine

2011-08-29T16:17:00.001+08:00

Kush Boys Worldwide say the public should take note of recent studies that indicate green tea, one of the key ingredients in Chronic Ice “Hemp Iced Tea,” has medicinal qualities—especially for fighting cancer. Consumption of green tea has been linked to lower blood pressure and cholesterol and lowering the occurrence of diabetes and the growth of cancer cells. Recent studies even indicate that the more green tea people drink, the better their health.

“Green tea contains antioxidants that can improve people’s overall health,” said Jamal Weathers, one of the Kush Boys. “It is often used to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, help people lose weight and even fight cancer.”

There are three main varieties of tea: green, black and oolong. The difference is in their processing. Green tea is made from unfermented leaves and contains the highest concentration of powerful antioxidants.

Antioxidants are substances that inhibit the formation of free radicals—those compounds in the body that alter cells, meddle with chromosomes, and contribute to the formation of cancer, blood clots, and atherosclerosis. Antioxidants in green tea neutralize free radicals and may reduce or even help prevent some of the damage they cause.

A recent study of 500 Japanese women with breast cancer found that increased green tea consumption reduced recurrence, and studies in China indicate that the more green tea participants drank, the lower their risk of developing stomach cancer, esophageal cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer and colorectal cancer.

In addition, a recent analysis of 22 studies that probed the correlation between high tea consumption and reduced risk for lung cancer concluded that by increasing consumption of green tea by two cups a day, people can reduce the risk of developing lung cancer by 18%.

In a study that involved 500 Japanese men and women, researchers found that drinking at least four cups of green tea every day may be related to the reduced severity of coronary heart disease among the male participants. A Dutch study of more than 3,000 men and women found that the more tea consumed, the less severe the clogging of the heart's blood vessels, especially in women.

"We think it’s important for people to know that good choices in everyday food and beverages we consume can make a difference to their health,” said Yanovsky.

For more information about Chronic Ice or Kush Boys Worldwide, call (888) 557-3332.

About Kush Boys Worldwide
Kush Boys Worldwide is a Los Angeles-based company committed to pursuing ventures that benefit a demographic they call the new-age pop culture. Current projects include the online animated series Master Kush; an eco-friendly clothing line for the urban demographic called Kush Couture Lifestyle Apparel (KCLA); an all-natural iced health tea made with hemp known as Chronic Ice; the natural male enhancement supplement Sir Rock; and Kush Boys Studios.

Kush Boys is now launching a number of lifestyle products, such as Chronic Ice and KCLA clothing, to satisfy the needs of a demographic they call the new-age pop culture.

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Obesity, Blood Pressure, Smoking May Shrink Your Brain

Obesity, Blood Pressure, Smoking May Shrink Your Brain

2011-08-03T09:05:00.002+08:00

by Claire Shefchik

Obesity, smoking and other risk factors can actually cause your brain to shrink in middle-age, leading to mental decline later in life, a UC-Davis study found.

The study's authors gave 1,352 middle-aged participants brain scans over the course of decade, while also measuring their body mass and waist circumferance and giving them diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol tests.

Participants who were obese at middle age had faster declines in tests of executive function, and also showed a drop in brain volume. Diabetes and smoking led to shrinkage in the hippocampus area of the brain. Researchers also noticed growth in vascular brain damage in those with high blood pressure and diabetes.

Catherine Roe, an assistant professor of neurology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, said these results don't prove the risk factors caused brain shrinkage.

But, Roe said, "We know smoking and being overweight are bad for other parts of your health. This is just one more reason to get these things under control."

The study appeared Aug. 2 in Neurology. Dr. Charles DeCarli, the study's author, called the results "a no-brainer." He noted that the study focused on generally healthy participants, and didn't reflect the even larger health and obesity problems seen in certain areas and populations of the United States.

Source

Tapping Pain Relief World Summit
7XMOM: Ta-da, the perfect chocolate chip cookie
Can Michigan win the battle against obesity?
7 Levels of Wealth Manifestation

Obesity a culprit as strokes rise in pregnant women

2011-07-31T11:01:00.002+08:00

Written by Adam Tamburin | The Tennessean

The stroke rate for pregnant women and women who have recently given birth has increased by 54 percent since the mid-1990s, according to a new report that local physicians are greeting with alarm, if not surprise.

The report, released Thursday by the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association, examined millions of patient discharge records in a national database culled from 1,000 hospitals. It found 4,085 hospitalizations because of pregnancy-related strokes from 1994-1995 and 6,293 of the same cases from 2006-2007.

These results come as no surprise to several local physicians, who say they have noticed an increase in risk factors for strokes, including obesity and high blood pressure, among their pregnant patients.

“It’s shocking, but it’s not surprising,” said Janice E. Whitty, director of maternal fetal medicine for Meharry Medical College.

“We’ve had a tremendous increase in obesity in pregnancy, and this, I think, is really driving this dreaded complication.”

Whitty said obesity among pregnant women often leads to high blood pressure and other complications that can increase the risk of a stroke.

Extra weight can add to risks

Cornelia Graves, medical director of the perinatal program at Baptist Hospital, said most of her hospital’s pregnant patients were obese before conceiving, a fact that is in keeping with Tennessee’s high obesity rate.

Graves said the added weight on most expectant mothers can exacerbate health risks pregnant women already face, as pregnancy often uncovers hereditary health issues that women have not yet encountered.

“Women come in with these histories of cardiovascular disease and diabetes and they come in 45 pounds heavier than their mothers were when they had children,” Graves said. “You already have genetic risk factors and then pregnancy unmasks these risk factors. And now you have this weight issue.”

Medications help

Whitty and Graves said this report’s findings are another indication of the nation’s struggle with obesity.

However, they said, they have not noticed a steep spike in pregnancy-related strokes.

Graves said this could be because of the aggressive treatment of high blood pressure in pregnant women in Middle Tennessee, and the TennCare program that offers health insurance to pregnant Tennesseans with low incomes.

About 60,000 women are enrolled in the program at a time, according to a TennCare spokeswoman.

Sometimes, Graves said, Baptist physicians put at-risk patients on several medications meant to combat high blood pressure.

“You’re not going to avoid every stroke, but those things can definitely help to turn the tide,” she said.

The key to avoiding strokes among at-risk women is the regular care of a physician, said Sanat Dixit, a neurosurgeon with Summit Medical Center and Cumberland Brain & Spine.

“Stroke in pregnancy could potentially be preventable if you can manage the risk factors properly,” he said. “Those risk factors can be mitigated with proper medical management.”

Whitty said obesity and added risk factors for stroke are especially prevalent among low-income patients, who might not have access to healthier food or might not view regular medical checkups as a necessity during pregnancy.

Preventive steps

Jessica Florida, vice president of physician recruitment for TriStar Health System, is due to give birth to her second child on Monday and is taking medication to fight her high blood pressure.

Although she doesn’t typically struggle with high blood pressure or obesity, Florida said, her blood pressure reached potential stroke levels in the days after the birth of her son in 2006.

“The blood pressure issue cropped up really quickly,” Florida said. “It was scary once I realized that my blood pressure was as high as it was.”

Florida credited her doctors and a more strenuous exercise regimen with defusing what could have been a deadly health hazard.

Whitty, Graves and Dixit all said that women should regularly monitor obesity, high blood pressure and other stroke risks — even if they aren’t pregnant.

“Many of those patients never see a physician until they get pregnant,” Graves said. “We need to close in that window and care for women … during those child-bearing years.”

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UNC Obesity Epidemic Study: People eating bigger portions, more often
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Restaurant scheme to tackle obesity in children with smaller portions

2011-07-27T11:09:00.003+08:00

CONOR POPE, Consumer Affairs Correspondent

THE CHICKEN nuggets and chips combination so beloved of Irish children may become a thing of the past if a restaurant initiative aimed at tackling childhood obesity takes off.

Thousands of restaurants are to begin offering child-friendly portions of their adult menus alongside their children’s menus as part of a joint campaign announced yesterday by the Nutrition and Health Foundation and the Restaurants Association of Ireland.

The “Kids Size Me” scheme being rolled out by the group’s 6,000 members is looking to provide healthier options for children.

President of the association Brian Fallon said it would also give members who took part “huge marketing material” at a time when many were struggling to keep their doors open.

Participating restaurants will offer children access to healthier food options by making smaller portions of adult meals available as an alternative to the standard children’s menus. They will carry the new “Kids Size Me” symbol.

Over the coming weeks, consumers will be able to check which restaurants are participating on the wheretoeat.ie website.

Dietician and foundation manager Dr Muireann Cullen said Ireland had one of the highest rates of childhood obesity in the world and one in four Irish children was overweight or obese.

She said it was “essential to ensure children have access to healthier food options in the appropriate serving size and that this is actively promoted by restaurants”.

Research commissioned by the foundation found there was an overwhelming demand for child-size portions of adult meals, with 98 per cent of parents wanting the option of ordering smaller portions off adult menus for their children.

It found that while 80 per cent of restaurants allowed diners to do this, nearly two-thirds did not publicise the fact.

The survey found 78 per cent of children chose their meal themselves with 53 per cent ordering of the adult menu.

“It is clear that the demand is out there and it is now time for restaurants to act on that demand,” said Mr Fallon, one of the owners of Fallon Byrne on Dublin’s Exchequer Street.

“It is about a mindset and about changing attitudes.”

He said his restaurant would be changing its menus to reflect it was part of the new campaign.

He did not believe restaurants would replace their children’s menus entirely but would use the new portion options as “a bolt-on to what already exists, which will start a process of getting people to think about the healthier options”.

He stressed that while the campaign would not cost restaurants money, it would still offer parents better value for money.

The foundation survey found 55 per cent of parents thought a children’s meal costing between €5 and €7.50 was value for money, while a third thought the price ceiling could reach €10 and still represent good value.

52% of children eat out once a month

98% of parents want their children to have child-sized portions of adult meals

73% of children chose their own meals

56% would pay €7.51-€10 for a portion for a 10-12-year-old.

Based on an NHF survey of 500 parents.

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Snacking Clue To Obesity Epidemic

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Can Michigan win the battle against obesity?

2011-07-18T16:06:00.004+08:00

Written by Louise Knott Ahern

The numbers are staggering.

They get quoted all the time, dire estimates about how much it costs Michigan to be the 10th fattest state in the nation.

They show up in expert testimony before the Legislature. They appear in press releases by advocacy groups trying to influence state law. Gov. Rick Snyder himself reportedly relied on one estimate — $9 billion — as the basis for listing obesity reduction as a priority in his administration.

But is it really $9 billion? Or is it more like $42 billion, as one study suggests? Or maybe only $52 million, cited by yet another?

The wide-ranging disparities raise more questions than they answer about what Michigan’s rising obesity epidemic means for the businesses, taxpayers and individuals of the Great Lakes state.

Where do the estimates come from? What do they include? And, most importantly, who ultimately pays the bill?

Chart: Healthcare costs and obesity
Data:Michigan county-by-county obesity rates
Tips: Do just one thing toward better health

“The costs of obesity are enormous,” said Dr. Lee Kaplan, chairman of the national Campaign to End Obesity, a consortium of roughly 50 businesses, nonprofits, government agencies and other groups. “You have medical costs, you have disease, you have death and quality of life, military preparedness, and of course, lastly, you have lost productivity in the economy. What part of modern society have we not touched on as being adversely affected by obesity? None. So who pays the bill? We all do.”

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UNC Obesity Epidemic Study: People eating bigger portions, more often

2011-07-02T10:24:00.005+08:00

Post on July 1, 2011 by Adam Searing

UNC-Chapel Hill researchers have a pretty comprehensive study out today that looks at how – and not just what – people eat over the last thirty years. The results point to what they think is a major cause of people getting much, much heavier: people are eating significantly more in bigger portions at each meal and they are eating more often between meals.

This research goes way beyond the “supersize me” fast food debacle, because it looks at what people are eating in a wide variety of situations over a long period of time. I’ve read the full article and I think the authors are pretty persuasive that, at least based on this study, a primary problem causing our obesity epidemic is simply that people are eating way too much.

Just like anything in public health, it’s always hard to separate out the causes with obesity. With cities and towns set up for cars and not pedestrians or bicycles, with huge increases in soda consumption coupled with corresponding large drops in average price for sugary drinks, with the elimination of gym and recess as part of the school day in many areas, there are plenty of potential causes.

However, this UNC study on portion size is persuasive in its arguments mainly because it looked at so many people over such a long period of time for some pretty specific behavior. It’s worth a look.

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How To Fight Trend in Preschool Obesity

Snacking clue to obesity epidemic

2011-06-29T20:52:00.001+08:00

By Helen Briggs

Snacking and super sizing are two of the dieter's worst enemies, research suggests.

The average daily calorie intake in the US has increased by almost a third in 30 years, reaching 2,374 kilocalories.

The influence of bigger portion sizes and excessive snacking outweighs the shift towards high-calorie foods, say experts.

Focussing on reducing how much and how often people eat could help tackle obesity, they report in PLoS Medicine.

Obesity levels have risen sharply in many western countries since the 1970s. In the US, where the study was carried out, a third of all adults - more than 72 million people - are now categorised as obese.

A team from the University of North Carolina analysed data from food surveys carried out in the seventies, eighties, nineties and the last decade.

The surveys record all food and drink a person consumes over a 24-hour period.

The average daily energy intake of a US citizen increased from 1,803 kcal in 1977-78 to 2,374 kcal in 2003-06.

In the last decade of the study alone, the average daily calorie intake went up by 229 kcal.

Several factors are involved in energy intake - the number of calories (energy) in a specific amount of food (energy density), portion size and how many meals and snacks a day eaten.

The researchers say that while all of these have gone up, increases in the number of eating occasions and portion size seem to account for most of the change.

They suggest efforts to prevent obesity should focus on reducing the number of snacks and meals a day as well as portion size.

"These findings suggest a new focus for efforts to reduce energy imbalances in US adults," write Kiyah Duffey and Barry Popkin of the University of North Carolina in the journal PloS Medicine.

Commenting on the paper, Dr Áine O'Connor, a scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation said: "Many factors influence total energy intake that can lead to [being] overweight and obesity but it is possible that having more eating occasions through the day, for example by frequent snacking, would increase calorie consumption and so lead to weight gain.

"This study also looked at portion size and studies have shown that having larger portions of food leads to an increased intake.

"The researchers were based in the US, but many of the factors causing the obesity epidemic there are mirrored in the UK and, for those trying to control their weight, it is important to manage both how much and how often they eat."

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NZ's soaring diabetes rate puts us with world's worst

2011-06-27T10:36:00.004+08:00

Rising levels of obesity blamed for disease that afflicts about 350 million people New Zealand has one of the developed world's worst diabetes problems - and the corresponding increase in obesity is part of the reason, according to an international study.

More than 350 million people in the world now have the disease, British researchers found.

The analysis, published online by the Lancet medical journal, adds several tens of millions to estimates of the number of diabetics and indicates that the disease has become a global health problem.

In wealthy nations, diabetes was highest in the United States, Malta, New Zealand and Spain, and lowest in the Netherlands, Austria and France.

Scientists blame the increase on the spread of a Western-style diet, leading to rising levels of obesity.

Other badly affected countries included many Pacific Island nations.

In the Marshall Islands one in three women and one in four men have diabetes.

Researchers also say that increased longevity is playing an important role.

Diabetes New Zealand president Chris Baty told Radio New Zealand that the results were not surprising, as the country also has one of the highest obesity rates.

The most common type of diabetes, Type 2, is strongly associated with obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.

University of Otago professor of nutrition and medicine Jim Mann also told the broadcaster that New Zealand had no concerted public health programme to tackle the obesity epidemic.

"Unless we do something about the obesity epidemic we're not going to do anything about the diabetes epidemic," he said.

One of the British study's main authors, Professor Majid Ezzati of Imperial College, London, said: "Diabetes is one of the biggest causes of mortality worldwide, and our study has shown that it is becoming more common almost everywhere. It is set to become the single largest burden on world health care systems.

"Many nations are going to find it very difficult to cope with the consequences."

The study - which was financed by the World Health Organisation and by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation - analysed blood from 2.7 million participants aged 25 and over from around the world over a three-year period.

To find out if they had diabetes, doctors measured the levels of glucose in their blood after they had fasted for 12 to 14 hours - blood sugar rises after a meal. If their glucose level fell below 5.6 millimoles a litre, they were considered healthy.

If their reading topped 7, they were diagnosed as having diabetes, while a result that ranged between 5.6 and 7 indicated that a person was in a pre-diabetic state.

From the results, it was estimated that the number of adults with diabetes was 347 million, more than double the 153 million estimated in 1980 and considerably higher even than a 2009 study that put the number at 285 million.

"We are not saying the previous study was a bad one," said Professor Ezzati. "It is just that we have refined our methods a little more."

DISEASE GROWS

* Worst: United States, Malta, New Zealand, Spain.

* Best: Netherlands, Austria, France.

- OBSERVER, NZ HERALD STAFF

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Obesity On The Rise In Canada

How to Fight Trend of Preschool Obesity

2011-06-25T10:26:00.002+08:00

Institute of Medicine Calls for New Policies to Promote Exercise and Healthier Eating

By Salynn Boyles
WebMD Health News

June 23, 2011 -- A growing number of preschool-age children in the U.S. are overweight or obese and greater efforts are needed to address the problem, the health policy group Institute of Medicine (IOM) says.

In a new report, an IOM committee outlined policies designed to reduce obesity by promoting healthy eating, exercise, and sleep habits among infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.

But instead of focusing solely on what parents can do, the report highlighted ways federal and state regulators, doctors, and child-care workers can help prevent obesity in very young children.

One in 10 infants and toddlers in the U.S. and one in five children between the ages of 2 and 5 are overweight.

"Contrary to the notion that chubby babies are healthy babies and that young children grow out of their baby fat, it is looking like children who are overweight early may be more likely to be overweight and obese later on," committee chair Leann L. Birch, PhD, tells WebMD.

Limit TV Time

Birch, who directs the Pennsylvania State University Center for Childhood Obesity Research, says addressing the problem in very young children is critical because obesity-related conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure are occurring with greater frequency among older children, teens, and young adults.

The IOM report included these recommendations for state and federal regulators:

Requiring day care centers and preschools to provide the opportunity for at least 15 minutes of physical activity per hour to toddlers and older children, while allowing infants to move freely at times with appropriate supervision.
Limit TV and other screen time to no more than 30 minutes for half-day day care programs and one hour for full-day programs.
Day care centers and other child-care providers should be required to promote healthy sleep times during the day.

Kids Need More Sleep, Exercise

Birch says just like their parents, very young children appear to be sleeping less overall these days. Studies show that insufficient sleep time is a risk factor for obesity.

It is recommended that children age 2 and under get 12 hours or more of sleep each day and children between the ages of 2 and 5 get at least 11 hours of sleep.

Keeping TVs out of bedrooms, creating environments that promote naps and nighttime sleep, and establishing sleep routines are all important to promoting healthy sleep habits, IOM committee member Debra Haire-Joshu, PhD, MPH, of Washington University in St. Louis tells WebMD.

The report stressed the importance of giving young children plenty of opportunity to be active during the day.

"We know that children in many day care settings are not getting enough physical activity during the day," Birch says.

She says several states now require day care centers to provide the opportunity for at least two hours of physical activity during an eight-hour day.

"Children tend to be active in short bursts, so if they have the opportunity for activity throughout the day they are likely to expend more energy," she adds.

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Is Obesity a Lifestyle or Disease?
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Obesity rate is ballooning

2011-06-23T07:51:00.003+08:00

By TYLER KULA, The Observer

Lambton County's obesity rate is slightly below the Canadian average, according to a new report.

Obesity in Canada, released by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), says 25% of adults are obese, based on height and weight data from 2007-2009.

In Lambton County the obesity rate for adults is 22%, up from 15% in 2003.

Canadian obesity rates have more than doubled for men and women since 1981, the 54-page report says.

"As our population gains weight and becomes obese, the incidence of type two diabetes, heart disease, stroke, some types of cancers are also increasing, therefore increasing the cost of the medical system to deal with those chronic illnesses," said Connie Mallette, a registered dietitian with Lambton County.

The CIHI-PHAC report says obesity cost the Canadian economy $4.6 billion to $7.1 billion in 2008, up from $3.9 billion in 2000.

Physical inactivity is the strongest indicator of obesity, the report says, but lifestyle factors don't account for everything.

Women in higher income brackets were significantly less likely to be obese than those with lower incomes — a difference not found for men.

There's no data to compare locally, said Lambton epidemiologist Crystal Palleschi. But studies from Statistics Canada have similar findings, she said.

The CIHI-PHAC study also points to higher obesity rates among aboriginal people. A 2002/03 study found 36% of on-reserve adults were obese.

A recently-released Health Sarnia-Lambton Community Picture report says 4.6% of Lambton County's population is aboriginal, compared to a provincial average of 2%.

Canadian obesity rates vary dramatically — from 5.3% in Richmond, B.C., to 35.9% in the Mamawetan/Keewatin/Athabasca region of Saskatchewan.

Addressing health services for individuals, implementing community-level strategies for individuals and groups, and developing public policies are aspects of developing a multifaceted, long-term approach for obesity prevention, the study says.

Locally, the Health Community Picture report recommends establishing transportation policies that increase access to healthy food — one of six recommendations addressing smoking, healthy eating, physical activity, mental health, alcohol and substance abuse, and injury prevention.

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Drug Maker Withdraws Bid for Obesity Drug Approval

Obesity on the rise in Canada, but Richmond has lowest rate in country

2011-06-21T11:31:00.002+08:00

By Sean Sullivan, The Province

An abundance of fresh air, recreation facilities and level terrain may be some of the reasons why Richmond has the lowest obesity rate in Canada, residents say.

According to a joint report issued Monday from the Canadian Institute for Health Information and the Public Health Agency of Canada, one in four adults are now obese.

In Richmond, however, just five per cent of adults — one in 20 — are obese.

While the report doesn’t say why the community beats even fitness-crazy Vancouver, which stands at 6.2 per cent, jogger Shable Cheng-Yuan Hszgh said it’s all about the fresh air.

“We like to exercise: walking, jogging, or any exercise,” he said near the entrance to the city’s West Dike Trail.

Gesturing to the tall grass and cattails swaying alongside the Fraser River, he added, “It feels very isolated here. It’s easy to get outside.”

According to estimates by researchers, the equivalent of 405,000 cases of male obesity, and 646,000 cases of obesity in women could potentially be “altered or averted” if inactive Canadians did at least 15 minutes of low-impact activity a day, such as walking.And in Richmond, where the land is remarkably flat, walking is easy.

“You always see a lot of people out here,” Maureen Wielens said. “It’s flat, which makes it easier to bike across the dike.

“I wouldn’t be getting on a bike if I had to go up a hill,” she laughed.

The low rate of obesity in Richmond and neighbouring Vancouver stand in stark contrast to other regions of Canada, where rates shoot as high as 32 per cent in Kings County, P.E.I., and nearly 36 per cent in the northern Mamawetan/Keewatin/Athabasca region of Saskatchewan.

Between 1981 and 2009, obesity — based on actual measures of height and weight, and not people self-reporting their weight — roughly doubled across all age groups, and tripled for youth aged 12 to 17.

When figures for obesity are combined with those for being overweight, 62 per cent of Canadians overall weigh more than they should.

In addition to an increase in exercise, researchers if people improved “poor quality” diets by eating more fruits and vegetables, potentially 265,000 fewer men, and 97,000 fewer women would be obese.The report was quickly attacked by obesity experts as simplistic and misleading, arguing it risks leading to more discrimination against the overweight.

“The notion that 15 minutes of extra activity and eating more fruits and vegetables will have any noticeable impact on this epidemic is both simplistic and misleading,” said Dr. Arya Sharma, professor of medicine and chair in obesity research and management at the University of Alberta in Edmonton.

Many underlying drivers contribute to obesity, he said — including mental-health issues and the fact people are sleeping less and working longer hours. Researchers are exploring whether obesity starts in the womb.

“All of this is completely ignored when you bring it down to diet and exercise,” Sharma said.

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Are Reality Weight Loss Shows Helping Obesity In America?

Is obesity a lifestyle or a disease?

2011-06-18T10:46:00.004+08:00

By Kaitlin Prettyman, Deseret News

According to Medicare, obesity is a disease. But according to others, it's actually a lifestyle.

April Herndon, an associate professor of English at Winona State University in Minnesota, is one person who is tackling the issue.

Psychology Today writer Alice Dreger, a professor of clinical medical humanities and bioethics at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, asked Herndon to address some obesity questions. In regards to whether it's a disease or a lifestyle choice, Herndon said, "The truth is that obesity is so complicated that most doctors and scientists will admit that the answer may change for each person or (gasp!) that we just don't know."

A disease is defined by Merriam-Webster as "a condition of the living animal or plant body or of one of its parts that impairs normal functioning and is typically manifested by distinguishing signs and symptoms."

So, is obesity a disease? The International Journal of Obesity doesn't think so. It says, "Obesity, defined as a body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) or percentage body fat in excess of some cut-off value, … lacks a universal concomitant group of symptoms or signs and the impairment of function which characterize disease according to traditional definitions."

Herndon seems to support this idea, too, when she says that obesity isn't really a disease but raises the risk of certain diseases or conditions. She gives the example that obesity may not be a health problem "in and of itself" when she says, "We know that women are more at risk for breast cancer, but we don't consider being female a disease. We know that having light-colored skin and light-colored eyes increases one's risk for skin cancer, but we don't consider lighter-skinned people diseased. Obesity is similar."

Focus Taiwan listed six obesity-related diseases that were ranked among the 10 leading causes of death. The six are cancer, heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension and kidney disease.

Obesity rates increase with each year. The New York Times published an article in 2010 that said nearly 34 percent of adults are obese, which is more than double the percentage of 30 years ago.

Some people believe that the increase has come with changing times and things like television, video games and the Internet.

WebMD said, "Every hour children play video games or watch television may double their risk of obesity, a new study suggests."

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Drug Maker Withdraws Bid for Obesity Drug Approval

2011-06-04T11:30:00.003+08:00

By REUTERS

Published: June 3, 2011

Orexigen Therapeutics, the maker of a weight-loss drug once seen as a potential blockbuster, said it was scrapping its bid for approval in the United States because of “unprecedented” demands by regulators on safety trials. Orexigen said that it would focus on developing the drug, Contrave, and another drug candidate, Empatic, in markets outside the United States until there was a clear pathway to approval in the United States. The Food and Drug Administration refused to approve Contrave in February because of concerns about its effects on the heart. Orexigen said the F.D.A. wanted it to conduct a study on Contrave’s heart side effects that is unprecedented and would generate much more information than necessary or feasible. As recently as 2010, Contrave was seen as a highly promising obesity drug. Stock in Orexigen, which is based in San Diego, fell $1.06, or 33 percent, to $2.12 a share.

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Are reality weight-loss shows helping obesity in America?

2011-05-30T23:43:00.003+08:00

Diana Bierman

Medical experts divulge why or why not weight-loss shows help in the struggle against obesity

Most of the time you channel search, there is a good chance that a reality show pertaining to weight loss is on the air. Whether it’s MTV’s I Used to Be Fat or A&E’s Heavy, they are becoming more and more popular.

But are they really helping America understand the importance of good nutrition and actually losing weight?

The Canadian Press reports that America's obesity rate is currently the highest of any industrialized nation, and some agree that these shows aren’t necessarily making that statistic decrease.

Bariatric surgeon Ted Khalili was quoted as saying, “Obesity is an epidemic and these shows are trivializing it.”

That's not to say that these shows glamorize overweight people, but he believes they typically portray unrealistic diets for television purposes. Although he agrees there are some things obese people can learn, he believes most if it is too extreme.

Nevertheless, where there’s a will there’s a way. J.D. Roth, executive producer of Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition and The Biggest Loser, thinks that these types of shows make people more aware of the mistakes they are making.

“The first step to changing some systemic problem in society is awareness and I think (weight) awareness is at an all-time high," he declared.

And then there are those who are in the middle. Terry Shaack, another medical expert, believes we will eventually see change – perhaps in eight to 10 years, just not right away.

His reasons for this thinking seem fair, as he noted the U.S. was informed to quit smoking for its terminal results in 1967, but change wasn’t seen until 15 or 20 years later.

“It takes that long,” he stated.

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A Creative Approach to Dealing with Childhood Obesity

2011-05-24T18:54:00.002+08:00

New York, NY (PRWEB) May 23, 2011

Healthcare professionals have been calling childhood obesity a national epidemic for years, but only recently has the extent of the problem become a part of the national conversation. Some statistics just can't be ignored. 15 percent of American children, ages 6 to 11, are considered seriously overweight, a number that has tripled over the past thirty years. Obesity puts children at high risk for health problems including type II diabetes, hypertension and heart disease and for becoming obese adults.

There is another harmful aspect to this problem that is less discussed - the emotional toll obesity takes on children.

Dr. Ben Michaelis, a therapist who specializes in helping patients achieve mental health and well-being through creative expression, says that "overweight children are prone to low self-esteem, negative body image, depression and anxiety. These children are often ignored or ostracized by their peers and turn to more food for comfort." The unhealthy pattern of isolation and poor eating habits can lead to devastating long-term physical and emotional problems.

"Although it is natural to self-isolate when one is feeling sad or depressed, this behavior only exacerbates existing problems. In addition to eating more, overweight kids exercise less and become less involved in the world around them. This pattern perpetuates feelings of shame, hopelessness, and helplessness that can develop into full-blown clinical depression if untreated."

Dr. Michaelis believes that to break this negative cycle it is important to introduce these children to the joys of using their creativity as an alternative to overeating and isolation. "Guiding children to use their imagination and natural creativity will provide them with the tools to express their feelings and emotions in healthy and productive ways. I call this process The Creative Imperative."

Using creativity helps eradicate feelings of emptiness and depression while creating positive change. For obese children this is especially important because how they see themselves and others at this point in their development will leave a lasting imprint on how they live the rest of their lives.

Dr. Michaelis suggests:

Find your child's creative language - Every person has a natural way of expressing him or herself. As a parent you have to find your child's creative language. Is your child more of a painter? A writer? Does he or she like to take pictures? Does she build models or plant flowers? Encourage your child to use that language to develop a project and then share this creation with others. This form of self-expression allows children to share their feelings in a safe and positive way, especially if talking about low self-esteem directly is too difficult for them.
Share a creative project - by sharing what they create, children learn to express themselves without the immediate gratification of consuming empty calories. This can improve self-esteem and self-awareness and creates pathways for establishing relationships with others.

Getting kids to follow their natural creative instincts is not hard. Giving kids the tools to develop their own creative language will give their self-esteem a boost and make them far more resilient when life throws them the inevitable curve ball. Kids that have active imaginations build the skills to turn their dreams into action and will be far less likely to feel stuck with their negative feelings

To read the full article click here. To watch Dr. Michaelis on the nationally syndicated television show, Daytime, click here.

Dr. Ben Michaelis is a clinical psychologist who specializes in helping patients achieve mental health and well being through creative expression. His clients include New York Times bestselling authors, musicians, and a wide range of artists and professionals. He is an adjunct professor of psychology at Columbia University and on the medical faculty at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan. Dr. Michaelis is the co-founder of the Downtown Clinicians Collective, one of New York City's largest networking organizations for mental health professionals. The author of numerous scholarly articles and studies, he has been featured as an expert on creativity and relationships in articles on SheKnows.com Salon.com, and in Parenting ,Entertainment Weekly, and The New York Times. He has been a guest on Martha Steward Living Radio on Sirius/XM and on the nationally syndicated television program, Daytime. Dr. Michaelis lives and creates with his wife and two children in New York City.

For more information or questions for Dr. Michaelis, email him at Ben(at)DrBenMichaelis(dot)com
and visit him at www.DrBenMichaelis.com

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Fat gene theory dispelled

2011-05-24T14:34:00.003+08:00

May 24, 2011 - 12:29PM

Biggest Loser proves genes don't control weight, says Michelle Bridges.

From Sunday Life

I am not a scientist. However, I can't help being fascinated by what is going on in the research world as it relates to obesity and weight management. One of the things scientists are focusing their attention on is the field of epigenetics, which explores how every gene a person has inherited ends up expressing itself in their physical and neurological characteristics. This subject is even more interesting now that science has unravelled the human genome sequence.

In the past, we've looked to our parents and grandparents for the determinants of the way we look, or for our propensity for disease or obesity. What epigenetic research tells us is that our genes themselves are not wholly responsible for our physical characteristics.

Let me explain. Epigenetics is the study of changes in our physical characteristics that are caused by mechanisms over and above our underlying DNA sequence. Our epigenomes sit on top of our genes, and effectively tell our genes which genetic characteristics to switch on and which to switch off. The action is better described as a dimmer switch, as epigenomes also control to what extent our genes determine our physical characteristics.

It's important to remember that our DNA sequence itself doesn't change. We can't change our genetic sequence because it's hard-wired into our system - but we can change the way our genes express themselves.

Obviously, if we can switch off the genes that give us a propensity to develop cancer or become obese, or at least "dim" them, we stand to benefit enormously. And here's more amazing news: the way to change our epigenomes, and thereby our genetic expression (our propensity to disease, obesity, even the way we look), is by changing our diet, our exercise habits and our environment. In other words, it's not the genetic cards you've been dealt, but rather how you play them that determines much about your physical health and well-being.

This research also dispels the fat-gene theory, which suggests that some of us have the fat gene and are therefore incapable of losing weight. We now know that all of us can control our weight to some degree - if we treat our epigenomes carefully through exercise, nutrition and our environment.

The common denominator of all the contestants on The Biggest Loser is that they all claim to have "tried everything, but nothing worked" in their quest for a healthy weight. Yet we trainers manage to get weight off all of them, without exception. Did they leave their fat genes at the front door? No. Has their DNA sequence changed? No. They just altered its genetic expression. And you can, too.

Michelle's tip

When you change your diet, exercise and environment, the change to your epigenomes - and therefore your genetic expression - is immediate. Never think the changes you've made to your lifestyle haven't made a difference; they have. The difference took place at a cellular level the moment you made the change.

Michelle Bridges is an author land a trainer on The Biggest Loser.

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Doctors Want to Oust Ronald McDonald

2011-05-20T13:53:00.001+08:00

McDonald’s shareholders opt to keep iconic clown

Updated: Thursday, 19 May 2011, 11:21 PM CDT
Published : Thursday, 19 May 2011, 11:21 PM CDT

by Tom Lyden / FOX 9 News

For better or worse, Ronald McDonald has been a part of many childhoods. His name is attached to fast food and charity, but now a lot of doctors want him to be history.

As America struggles with a childhood obesity epidemic, many pediatricians said they believe the iconic clown is part of the problem. With 17 percent of all children considered obese, the doctors argue that Ronald McDonald gets them hooked early on fast food.

In a Thursday night meeting in Chicago, McDonald’s shareholders rejected that idea, and the CEO announced that the clown will stick around.

Though he is the face of the brand, customers would have to look long and hard to find the clown at a McDonald’s location -- and even the kids say he’s been missing in action. Health professionals say the reason his face is hidden is because of the shame that follows encouraging kids to load up on junk food.

A Happy Meal with fries and McNuggets tallies in at 420 calories and includes 23 grams of fat and 560 mg of sodium. That’s why health advocates -- including 43 from Minnesota -- said they are asking the company to fire it’s figurehead after 48 years.

Yet, there is one place where Ronald is still a revered star: The Ronald McDonald House, which helps 4,000 sick children and their families annually.

A percentage of each Happy Meal ends up at the charity, which relies on local franchises for a quarter of its budget.

Studies have suggested the real culprit behind childhood obesity isn’t just fast food -- it’s poverty. Where else can a child be fed for under $3?

McDonald’s CEO Jim Skinner said the decision to keep the clown stems from the personal and individual right to choose.

McDonald’s has been on a business roll lately, with shares up 12 percent. On Thursday, they closed at a record high.

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'Night owls' eat more and eat worse, study finds

2011-05-06T01:27:00.001+08:00

CTV.ca News Staff

Date: Thursday May. 5, 2011 12:25 PM ET

Regularly staying up late at night and sleeping in the next day could put you at risk for gaining weight.

A new study finds that "late sleepers" tend to eat more, weigh more, and eat more low-quality food – even if they get roughly the same amount of sleep as people who hit the hay at a more normal time.

For the small study, which appears in the journal Obesity, scientists from Northwestern University looked at 51 adults: 23 late sleepers and 28 normal sleepers.

The participants recorded their eating and sleep habits in logs for at least seven days. They also wore a wrist actigraph, which monitors sleep and activity cycles.

Late sleepers went to sleep at an average time of 3:45 a.m. and woke up by 10:45 a.m. They ate breakfast at noon, lunch at 2:30 p.m., and dinner at 8:15 p.m. They also ate a "final meal" at 10 p.m.

Normal sleepers on average were up by 8 a.m., ate breakfast by 9 a.m., lunch at 1 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m., a late snack at 8:30 p.m. and were asleep by 12:30 a.m.

Both groups got roughly the same amount of sleep: 7 hours in the late sleep group, and 7.5 in the regular sleepers.

The researchers found that late sleepers took in 248 more calories a day, twice as much fast food and half as many fruits and vegetables as those with earlier sleep times. They also drank more full-calorie soft drinks.

Co-lead author Kelly Glazer Baron, a health psychologist and a neurology instructor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, suggested those extra 248 calories can add up over time.

"The extra daily calories can mean a significant amount of weight gain – two pounds per month – if they are not balanced by more physical activity," she said in a news release.

Indeed, the late sleepers had an average higher body mass index, or BMI, than normal sleepers.

The study authors say that the calories that were taken in after dinner were the most problematic.

"Calories consumed after 8:00 p.m. predicted BMI after controlling for sleep timing and duration," they write.

Senior author Dr. Phyllis Zee, a professor of neurology and director of the Sleep and Circadian Rhythms Research Program at Feinberg and medical director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Feinberg and Northwestern Memorial Hospital says eating when the body expects to be sleeping may disturb our circadian rhythms.

"Human circadian rhythms in sleep and metabolism are synchronized to the daily rotation of the earth, so that when the sun goes down you are supposed to be sleeping, not eating," Zee said.

"When sleep and eating are not aligned with the body's internal clock, it can lead to changes in appetite and metabolism, which could lead to weight gain."

The research findings could be relevant to people who have trouble losing weight, suggesting that going to bed early could prevent overeating at night.

The findings also have relevance for night-shift workers, who eat at the "wrong" time of day related to their bodies' circadian rhythms.

"It's midnight, but they're eating lunch," Zee said. "Their risk for obesity as well as cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and gastrointestinal disorders is higher."

Northwestern researchers are now planning more studies to test the findings in a larger group. They also want to try to understand the biological mechanisms that link the relationship between circadian rhythms, sleep timing and metabolism.

The research was supported by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health.

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Bryant McKinnie turning to Venus Williams for help slimming down

2011-04-24T12:54:00.001+08:00

By Sean Leahy, USA TODAY

Minnesota Vikings OT Bryant McKinnie is intent on getting slimmer this offseason. And he's turning to tennis' Williams sisters for help.

McKinnie has been working with both Venus Williams and Serena Williams in the Miami area as he endeavors to slim down from 360 pounds to 340.

Serena Williams

CAPTION

By Jim McIsaac, Getty Images

He's currently at about 355, he told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. (Via PFT)

In the video below, McKinnie shows off some of his tennis experience with Venus.

"One thing I learned with Venus, you have to be ready to work for a long lesson," McKinnie told the Pioneer Press. "She tires you out."

Whom does he enjoy working with more, Venus or Serena?

It's Venus, McKinnie joked: "She's a better teacher."

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The Proposed Arizona “Obesity Fine” Focuses on Overweight Medicaid Recipients

2011-04-17T23:27:00.002+08:00

The Fat, as They Say, is in the Fire

Arizona is rapidly overtaking Florida and Texas in the race to generate news items that make late-night talk show gag writers dance with joy. Latest example: Governor Janet Brewer, who has firmly established the fact that illegal immigrants are not on her Good People list, is apparently looking to add the very overweight to the tally.

In specific, she has proposed levying a surcharge of $50 on obese Arizonans who are enrolled in Medicaid unless they adopt a supervised weight-loss program prescribed by their doctor. A similar fee would apply to enrollees who are smokers. As Jay Leno might (and perhaps will) observe, “Evidently if you’re a hopeless alcoholic or a heroin addict, you’re not a health problem.”

This is a story tailor-made for America’s chat rooms. Among the aspects of interest:

Most of Brewer’s political moves thus far have brought cheers of support from the Tea Party folk, but how will they react to the notion of state government fining people for unhealthy behavior? According to a spokesperson for Arizona’s Medicaid program, that was one express goal of the surcharge, along with driving home the point that obesity is a drain on health care resources. How will Brewer respond to charges that she’s engaging in that anathema to conservatives, “social engineering”?
This is would be the first such “irresponsibility” fee (or fine, or surcharge) in Medicaid history, and more than a few state governments, absolutely desperate for revenues, will seriously consider following Arizona’s lead, if it becomes law. Given that over 25 percent of Arizonans were obese as of 2009, and roughly 45 percent of the state’s Medicaid enrollees are smokers, at $50 a head, we’re talking some serious change. Imagine how much revenue a “fat fee” could generate in Mississippi, Alabama or Arkansas.
On the one hand, as liberal opponents of the proposal point out, the fee could unfairly penalize those whose weight is, for whatever reasons, genuinely beyond their control. On the other hand, obesity carries with it very definite and significant health care costs above the norm, and in most cases is due to lifestyle behavior, not genetics or biochemistry.
Ultimately, the proposed fee will wind up in court, first because such tinkering with Medicaid rules generally requires permission from Washington, which is already unhappy with Governor Brewer’s infringing on the federal government’s immigration turf, and second because such details as the definition of “obesity,” and who decides whether a weight-loss program is being adequately followed, have yet to be hashed out.

Our advice to the Governor and her Medicaid administrators: Don’t start counting the fee revenues just yet.

(By Robert S. Wieder for CalorieLab Calorie Counter News):

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Weight Loss Improves Memory, Research Reveals

2011-04-16T15:25:00.004+08:00

By BEN FORER
April 15, 2011

Subjects Who Underwent Gastric Bypass Surgery Saw Significant Memory Improvement

Losing weight may be more than just good for your heart. New research indicates it also can improve your memory.

According to a study led by John Gunstad, assistant professor of psychology at Kent State University, weight loss may improve concentration and overall cognitive ability.

"We've known for a long time that obesity is a risk factor for things like Alzheimer's disease and stroke, and more recent work really shows that obesity is a link to memory problems and concentration problems before that even begins," said Gunstad. "If excess weight causes these problems, can losing weight help reverse them? That's what we wanted to research."

Gunstad tested the memory and attention of 150 overweight people. Then, some of the participants underwent gastric bypass surgery while others did not.

"What we found is that by individuals who went through the weight loss surgery showed improvements in memory about 12 weeks after surgery," said Gunstad. "They were able to show improvements moving from the kind of mildly impaired range into the normal range, which clinically is a pretty good, is a pretty meaningful change."

Prior to surgery, 23.9 percent of all the participants showed impaired learning and 22.9 percent had poor recognition memory.

Twelve weeks after surgery, the average performance for those that went under the knife was within average range or above average on all cognitive tests, improvements that were not seen in the group of people that decided to not have gastric bypass surgery.

3 Unanswered Questions

There still are three major questions that need to be answered, Gunstad said:

1. What from obesity is causing the brain damage?
2. What causes the brain to improve after surgery?
3. Can behavioral weight loss produce the same changes in the brain as surgery?

"If we're able to identify what causes these memory problems in the first place and then changes after surgery to make the memory better, that's the key," said Gunstad. "Once we can find that, that might be an answer to what better understands how obesity's linked to Alzheimer's disease, stroke or even just memory decline that happens in older adults."

Weight-Loss Benefits Without Surgery?

Gunstad is cautiously optimistic that if somebody were to lose 20 or 25 pounds, they might see some of the same benefits without the surgery.

"I think one of the important take-home messages for this study," he said, "is really just, kind of, a reminder for individuals that if you take care of your body, you're also taking care of your brain."

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The iPhone Diet? Digital Health Finds Its Legs With Mobile Platforms

2011-04-05T08:36:00.002+08:00

By Edward F. Moltzen, CRN

Want to dial up a weight loss plan?

Consult your physician. Then, once you get the green light, pull out your Apple (NSDQ:AAPL) iPhone, download a new breed of digital health apps, and start slimming down with the iPhone diet.

View the Slide Show

Weight loss, physical fitness, blood pressure monitoring and even sleep management are now an increasingly embraced part of the Apple iPhone ecosystem -- with new products over the past several months gaining significant acceptance.

Leading IT companies such as Intel (NSDQ:INTC) began launching major digital health initiatives a decade ago, outlining the advances for both health-care consumers and providers in deploying PC-based solutions for medical intervention and wellness. But it wasn’t until the past 18 months that digital health solutions began showing momentum, spurred by “apps” that fit in with new platforms like iPhone, iPad and Android.

In research published by consulting firm Parks Associates, data shows some attention-getting numbers:

• Almost 20 percent of consumers have begun to use the Web to track the progress of their health, and as many as 7 percent have used the Web to communicate with their physicians;

• As of last December, there were more than 8,600 mobile apps for medical use or health and fitness just through Apple’s iTunes App Store alone;

• More than 9 out of 10 households in the U.S. have a mobile phone and one out of three in “broadband” households own a smartphone;

• Almost 80 percent of 200,000 physician practices in the U.S. have three or fewer doctors – exactly the type of practice that may benefit greatly from prescribing digital health solutions for patients.

Overall, according to Parks, the entire U.S. digital health-care industry will grow to more than $5.7 billion by 2015, with consumers of digital health solutions jumping from 3.8 million last year to 26 million over five years.

For anyone who has used digital health apps and found how easy and effective they can be, that number seems quite conservative. They work, they are flexible and -- because they fit in with mobile devices -- are at your side on just about a 24-7 basis.

We’ve examined a number of them, and found the best way to test several was simply to use them. Dieting and exercise aren’t fun, but the best-in-breed iPhone apps for weight-loss tasks are effective and can have impact. Here’s what we experienced:

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National Expert Spills Secret to Slimming Down Santa Cruz Youth

2011-03-27T01:58:00.002+08:00

By Jacob Bourne

Children today are fatter than ever, and those of Santa Cruz County are no exception.

The number of overweight children in America has increased by more than 100 percent over the last 30 years. According to UCSF Professor of Clinical Pediatrics Robert Lustig, there is one major culprit for this epidemic: sugar.

Lustig spoke Thursday at Capitola’s New Brighton Middle School to a crowd of 200-plus attendees representing the medical, education, childcare and food service communities. His talk, entitled “How to Stop the Obesity Epidemic in Santa Cruz County,” was meant to debunk misconceptions on obesity, and help the public understand how it can truly be combated.

Congressman Sam Farr, who has long worked on health-related issues, introduced Lustig.

“We’re here today to demonstrate that the value of healthy eating is also a great, great investment in America’s future,” Farr said.

Farr recognized that while the county is far from immune to the scale-tipping trend of this country, strides have certainly been made in the right direction, namely with the advent of the Breakfast in the Classroom program.

“We’re starting to develop this thought in Santa Cruz that the lunch room is also as important as the classroom,” he said.

Lustig argued however, that the problem runs much deeper than what is happening between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.

“I don’t care how much fruits and vegetables we give our kids in school. Until we get the sugar out of the parents’ homes, ain’t nothin’ going to work,” he said.

Lustig referred to sugar, both cane sugar and the much-maligned high-fructose corn syrup, as “biochemically toxic.”

“If you add enough sugar, you can make dog poop taste good, and indeed they have,” Lustig said. “That’s what your kids are eating. They are eating sugar-flavored dog poop.”

According to the United Way of Santa Cruz County, in 2006, the county ranked 29^th (first being the best) of 66 California counties for overweight children under five-years-old. Lustig thinks the area can strive for a much healthier rating.

“Here in Santa Cruz County, we’re the fruit basket of America. Where else best to start?” he said.

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2011-02-25T15:05:00.001+08:00

Directions for using Catnip Tea

The best way to prepare this is to steep in a boiling 6 oz. cup of water for 3 minutes. Don't boil the tea. To bring out the flavor, press the tea bag before removing from the cup.

You may use honey to sweeten the tea.

One important benefit of this tea is that it is caffeine free.

About Catnip Tea

Catnip, which is an herb which belongs to the mint family, grows in mild climates in the northern hemisphere. it has many beneficial health benefits such as:

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Slimmer Tea for a Beautiful You

2011-01-10T07:06:00.001+08:00

Tava tea, a slimmer tea, may be the most effective drink for losing weight. It is creating a buzz in the weight loss world because many have tried it and were satisfied. Instead of the usual tea being drank, more and more people are switching to Tava tea because of its ability as a natural fat blocker and carb blocker. Antioxidants in Tava tea also helps build up your immunity system.

This slimmer tea is not just for slimming. Other benefits you get from it are skin rejuvenation, cholesterol lowering, glycose lowering in the blood stream. The benefits are numerous that's why so many are switching to this delightful drink.

Green tea blended with other Chinese teas are the secret to this slimming tea's success. Puerh, Green Sencha and Wuyi Cliff Oolong tea are the main ingredients of Tava tea.

Green Sencha is widely known for destroying harmful free radicals, fights bacteria, and lowering of heart disease risk.

Puerh works in the digestive system efficiently by inhibiting the growth of cancer cells. It also keeps your blood flow in shape. Like the Sencha, it also lowers your cholesterol level.

Wuy Cliff Oolong, which is rare in China, helps burn fat and cures disorders in the digestive system. Heart ailments are reduced because it too can lower cholesterol levels which build up in the blood stream.

Add all the benefits you get from these three main ingredients and you get a drink not just to get a slimmer body but also to improve your over all well being.

Two cups a day of Tava tea is all you need to benefit from this amazing green tea blend. It's a very simple to use weight loss remedy and effortless since you just drink it.

You can purchase Tava tea on their website and get a six months money back guarantee. That's how they are confident with their product.

Why not try this slimmer tea today!

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Buying Proactol Online

2011-01-09T17:03:00.000+08:00

Buying proactol online is the quickest way to get your hands on this fabulous product. It has helped many in slimming down their figure as well as improving their well being. Here's a story of a certain dance pupil named Holly on how this product helped her lose weight.

She goes to a reputable dance academy in London and practices on her dancing on a daily basis. No problem with here weight and figure during these times because of the daily practice, even occasional treat doesn't affect her figure.

But when summer came, which means no more daily practice at the academy, she began to gain weight because she practices less at home.

Alarmed by her weight gain and losing her figure, she contemplated on buying proactol as it is what her father was taking to maintain his well being and figure.

She discussed this with his Father and agreed to buy some for her.

What difference it made on her figure! She was now in control of her weight loss goals and able to maintain her figure even with so much delectable food all around for the taking. Even with less exercise!

Her friends wondered how she maintained her slim figure and they just didn't know that the secret was proactol which her dad had been taking.

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Tava Tea – Super Slimming Tea Causes a Stir

2011-01-07T13:18:00.000+08:00

Jan 2nd, 2011 | By SueE

It really is not surprising that so many of us feel self conscious about our bodies. The idealised image of the body seems to be everywhere and all of us want to look stunning and beautiful. However in reality many of us are struggling to lose unwanted weight and are feeling pretty hopeless when it comes to acquiring a better-looking, healthier body.

We seem to put off the idea of weight loss because on some levels it feels impossible. If only there was an easier way to lose weight that required no strict fitness routines getting in the way of our social lives, then we would do it! If only we could lose weight without giving up our favourite foods, then we could achieve that great look. If only we could trust in the numerous chemical supplements to help us on our weight loss quest, then we would; and so the list goes on…

However contrary to popular believe that the way to weight loss is all about chemical supplements, restrictive diets and hours lost in the gym, there is a simple healthy organic solution. And no, it’s not some wacky weight loss plan, but a hot cup of Tava Tea.

It really is what we have all been waiting for, a chance to get a fantastic body without the gym, complicated diets and dodgy pills! Tava tea is made of all organic, natural tea leaves, which are proven to not only aid weight loss, but provide a better overall feeling of well being. The three active ingredients are Wuyi Cliff Oolong (Wu Long), Pu’erh and Sencha, all of which are leaves from the green tea family.

What makes Tava tea special is that this combination of tea leaves is superior to basic green tea on its own. This fusion contains anti-oxidants, cholesterol reducing properties, digestion enhancing components and the promotion of blood circulation. And to top it all of these fine ingredients are said to keep teeth healthy and reverse the signs of ageing, hooray! These carefully selected tea leaves promote weight loss by accelerating the body’s natural calorie burning mechanism, which means you will have your desired shape in no time!

Further more we can really put our trust into this wonderful brew, because scientific backing proves its amazing properties. Clinical studies in Japan have found that Tava tea increases metabolic rate and reduces the fat gaining effects of carbohydrates.

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New stomach shrinking procedure helps patients lose weight

2010-12-22T11:21:00.000+08:00

A new experimental stomach shrinking procedure is helping obese patients lose weight, without bands, staples, or implants.

Reporter: Maureen McFadden

A new experimental stomach shrinking procedure is helping obese patients lose weight, without bands, staples or implants.

Every year, Americans spend $30 billion a year on diets, weight loss products and other weight loss services. Now, more than 200,000 people a year are going even further than pills or diets, and turning to surgery.

Teresa Flowers, a 54-year-old lifelong dieter, has tried numerous diets which all have failed. With a job that keeps her sitting eight hours a day, Flowers was ready to try something big.

"It's very frustrating to be obese and feel like your back is up against a wall and there's basically no hope,” says Flowers.

She became one of the first patients in the U.S. to undergo a new experimental weight loss surgery called gastric imbrication.

Gastric imbrication is a procedure that shrinks the volume of the stomach by 90-percent by folding and stitching it into a small, narrow tube.

Sunil Sharma, a doctor at the University of Florida’s Weight Loss Surgery Institute, says, “That translates into easy filling of the stomach, but eating less quantity of food."

"The fact that my stomach is only ten-percent the size that it was, it makes me make a conscious effort to not eat, and to eat wisely,” says Flowers.

The minimally invasive procedure is performed through several small incisions in the abdomen, or one cut through the belly button.

A pilot study in India on 30 patients showed participants losing 40-percent of their excess weight within the first year after surgery, all along with quicker recovery and fewer complications.

Two weeks after having the surgery, Teresa Flowers already had lost 23 pounds.

“I started at 313. I'd love to be down to about a hundred fifty pounds,” says Flowers.

Although at least two U.S. studies are now underway, gastric imbrication is still considered experimental and is not covered by insurance.

However, Sharma says that because it is less invasive than other bariatric procedures as well as not requiring the removal of any stomach tissue, the cost is much lower.

Gastric imbrication costing $12,500, compared to as much as $16,000 for lap band surgery and $19,000 for gastric bypass.

The process can be adjusted or even reversed as a result of the non-dissolvable sutures used in the procedure.

RESEARCH SUMMARY
TOPIC: SHRINKING STOMACHS...A NEW WAY
REPORT: MB #3228

BACKGROUND: There are a number of stomach-shrinking procedures that offer surgical solutions to bariatric complications. The most common is the Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass procedure, wherein the patient's stomach size can be decreased by surgically segmenting it into two parts, using surgical stables or a plastic band. The top part is formed into a small, golf ball sized pouch, which is then connected to a section of the small intestine, bypassing about five feet of intestine before reconnecting. The small pouch allows the patient to feel full after consuming only one to two ounces of food, and the bypassed intestine prevents the patient from absorbing additional calories. The next procedure is called Gastric-Band Surgery, where an inflated, silicone band is wrapped and tightened around the upper area of the stomach to create a pouch which only allows about an ounce of food to enter. Saline is used to inflate the band, and is fed into a plastic tube, which is attached to the band. During Gastric Sleeve Surgery, anywhere from 60-75% of the stomach is actually removed, leaving a sleeve-shaped formation which can receive and break down food. Also known as a gastrectomy, or "Sleeve gastrectomy," this procedure naturally limits caloric intake. (SOURCE: University of Florida Weight Loss Institute and webmd.com)

GASTRIC IMBRICATION: Also called Gastric Plication Surgery, this reversible procedure is accomplished without removing any portions of the stomach, re-routing the small intestine, or using any stapling or cutting. During this procedure, the bulging portion of the stomach is folded onto its other half, and held in place with non-absorptive sutures. The stomach's size is therefore decreased to a gastric sleeve proportion, but without using any of the potentially harmful, foreign objects to do so. Unlike Gastric Bypass, Gastric Imbrication does pose the risk of malabsorption, and is in fact considered to be a low-risk and low-cost procedure with a quick recovery. The procedure is certainly promising, but there are no long-term results reported at this point. (SOURCE: University of Florida Weight Loss Institute, Weight Loss Surgery News)

OBESITY STATISTICS: An August, 2010 obesity reports called "Vital Signs: State-Specific Obesity Prevalence Among Adults -- United States, 2009," found that in 2007, no state had met the 2001 Surgeon General-issued obesity goals, published as the Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity. These goals aimed to reduce the presence of obesity amongst American adults to only 15%. The overall self-reported figure was in fact 26.7%, varying over many characteristics. The highest numbers were found in adults aged 50-59, 31.1%, 60-69, 30.9%, non-Hispanic blacks, 36.8%, (non-Hispanic black women in particular, 41.9%), Hispanics, 30.7% and Midwestern and Southern residents, 28.2% and 28.4% respectively. In all, men measured at 22.9% and women at 18.6%, with the largest group of them being found in the group without a high school degree and the smallest in the group with a college degree.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Sunil K. Sharma, MD
University of Florida
Weight Loss Institute
(904) 633 -0834
sunil.sharma@jax.ufl.edu

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Do Free Radicals Really Cause Aging?

2010-12-21T11:43:00.000+08:00

By Jessica Marshall

These much maligned molecules may not be entirely harmful after all. In fact, a new study suggests they could help us live longer.

THE GIST

Free radicals are an important part of our body's normal functioning and may even be good for us in certain doses.
Worms that made extra free radicals lived longer than typical worms, but the effect was reversed when they were treated with antioxidants.
Research does not support taking more antioxidants than we consume via diet, researchers say.

Conventional wisdom has held for decades that free radicals cause aging, and that antioxidants, which squelch the reactivity of these highly reactive molecules, are a way to slow the process. But new work adds to a growing body of research that suggests the story is not so simple.

In the new study published in PLoS Biology, worms that made more free radicals or that were treated with a free-radical-producing herbicide actually lived longer than normal worms.

What's more, when the longer-lived mutant worms were given antioxidants, the effects were reversed, and the worms had a conventional worm lifespan. The finding flies in the face of the idea that antioxidants battle the effects of aging.

According to study author Siegfried Hekimi of McGill University in Montreal and others, what is emerging from this and other experiments is a view of free radicals -- or, more precisely, reactive oxygen species -- as a normal part of the body's stress response, with beneficial effects at certain levels.

"Maybe the reason why free radicals and aging are correlated is because free radical production in the mitochondria (part of the cell) is a stress reaction to the damage of aging," Hekimi said. "The organism tries to counter with free radical production."

Hekimi and others point out that part of exercise's benefit may be because exercise causes mild increases in the levels of reactive oxygen species that are actually good for us.

The emerging view casts a pall on the idea of popping antioxidant pills in hopes of slowing the aging process or protecting against disease.

"When clinical trials have been done with antioxidants, they have not shown benefits," Hekimi said.

"If we're right that reactive oxygen species are fundamental to maintain normal fitness and also adaptation to stress, then you don't want to take too many antioxidants," said Navdeep Chandel of Northwestern Medical School in Chicago.

Indeed, Chandel suspects that the beneficial effects of limited alcohol consumption come not from antioxidants in red wine but from the mild oxidative stress the alcohol provides.

"Who am I to say if you should take antioxidants or not," he added. "All I would say is there is no evidence that taking more antioxidants than you get through diet is needed."

Free radicals do cause damage, Hekimi said, but at normal levels their beneficial effects are perhaps more important. If the stress of aging or disease increases sufficiently, he said, the damage caused by the free radicals might overwhelm their positive effects.

"You cannot live without them, nor should you wish to, but they will probably help to kill you in the end," agreed Barry Halliwell of the National University of Singapore, of reactive oxygen species. "Learning how to stop the latter whilst preserving the useful functions of reactive oxygen species should be a major research priority in the next few years."

Halliwell said that evidence supports that reactive oxygen species probably contribute to the progression of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, despite having beneficial effects at lower levels. They also probably cause skin wrinkling, he added.

Hekimi hopes further experiments will determine exactly how reactive oxygen species increase lifespan in the worms.

He and his colleagues used the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans, an organism used widely in lab studies, but Hekimi believes the findings will translate into higher organisms like mice and humans, because these systems are so fundamental.

Halliwell noted, though, that C. elegans can not be used to study the effect of free radicals on stem cells, which evidence suggests may be important. Also, the study only shows the effects of free radicals on longevity, and can say nothing about quality of life.

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How to increase metabolism and lose weight faster--without dieting

2010-12-20T12:23:00.000+08:00

Learning how to increase metabolism can lead to weight loss up to five times faster.

By using effective weight management strategies, people can avoid health effects of obesity and being overweight; they can lead to chronic diseases as well as premature death. Obese individuals have a greater risk of having cancer, diabetes, stroke and other health problems.

Dieting and long workouts are not required to improve metabolism. Dieting usually doesn’t lead to lasting weight loss, especially when it involves starvation, because it slows down metabolism.

Inactivity also leads to a slower metabolism and weight gain. Some people participate in lower levels of activity, but this usually does not lead to any significant effect on weight loss. High level activity can boost metabolism and lead to faster weight loss.

According to a new study by Arlene Hankinson, M.D. and her team, maintaining high levels of activity was associated with smaller gains in body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference compared with low activity levels. Lower levels of activity had little effect on preventing weight gain. High level activity was the only kind that made a significant difference on weight gain prevention in the study. High-level activities included basketball, running, an exercise class and brisk walking.

This study was published in the December issue of Journal of the American Medical Association.

What they did: A prospective longitudinal study of habitual activity of 3554 men and women aged 18 to 30 years at baseline was done. Habitual activity was defined as maintaining high, moderate and low activity levels. Follow-up of participants was done for 20 years. The relationship between habitual activity levels and changes in body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference was evaluated for over 20 years.

Results from the study suggest that people will gain significantly less weight by middle age -- especially women -- if they engage in high activity levels through young adulthood. Weight gain in participants of the study was evaluated for over 20 years.

What is the biggest roadblock for most people trying to increase their metabolism?

Most people are too busy and time-starved to participate in long workouts.

What’s the solution?

Here’s the good news for people who are too busy to carve out a 30-minute block of time to work out: Exercise research studies have shown that shorter workouts can boost metabolism higher and lead to greater fat burning compared to longer workouts. The secret is interval exercise.

Researchers at Australia's University of New South Wales and the Garvan Institute found that interval exercise burn three times as much fat as running twice as long at a moderately hard, steady pace.

They studied 45 overweight women over 15 weeks. They went through a 20-minute cycling regime in which they sprinted on a stationary bike for eight seconds followed by 12 seconds of cycling lightly. They lost three times more weight as other women who exercised at a continuous, regular pace for 40 minutes.

Results from this study can also be applied to swimming, rowing, running and walking.
Many Americans are overweight or obese and they’re not able to participate in high-level activities. Walking is an ideal workout for most people. Even overweight and obese individuals can participate in a walking exercise program.

The problem is that walking for 60 minutes, seven times a week does not result in much fat loss for most people. The solution for a lot of overweight people is interval walking.

Starting even with just 10 minutes a day and increasing to 30 minutes of interval walking can boost metabolism and increase weight loss.

A study done at the University of Virginia showed that women who did three shorter, fast-paced walks a week ( in addition to two longer, moderate-paced walks) lost 5 times more belly that those who strolled at a moderate speed 5 days a week -- without dieting!

Multiple studies show that shorter workouts, such as interval walking or cycling, can increase metabolism and lead to weight loss faster -- even without dieting.

In the San Francisco Bay Area, many cities have walking trails. Local parks, beaches, lakes and even shopping malls can be great for walking.

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Cheryl Cole’s Weight Loss Goal

2010-12-19T14:11:00.000+08:00

by Erin Martin on Dec 18th, 2010

Shes the nations sweetheart and has ditched her cheating husband. She has a body that most red blooded males want to hold and that most females want to have.

Shes Cheryl Cole and despite her being adored by millions, her diet has been criticised by health experts as the unhealthiest diet of the year.

The X Factor judge, 27, is rumoured to undertake the Blood Group diet. This diet is when the dieters choose food according to their blood type.

Many top Dietitians have issued warning that these type of diets could lead to health problems due to the fact that dieters are advised to eliminate food groups such as red meat or dairy in their entirety.

Hollywood favourite: The Maple Syrup diet was also criticised by The British Dietetic Association. The Maple Syrup diet is said to be popular with celebrities such as Beyonce and Naomi Campbell.

Cheryl Cole is allegedly trying to lose more weight before she launches her career in the USA. The Geordie temptress is moving to LA to be a judge on the US X Factor but some of her friends say she wants to lose about 8 or 9lbs to look her best.

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Weight Loss Drinks For Quick Slimming Up

2010-12-18T11:27:00.000+08:00

Suparna Chakraborty

Everyone wants to be lean, slim, beautiful and with an extra kilo, the world comes to an end. What are the ways of weight loss? Diet, exercise, yoga, gym etc. With an hectic schedule it's human tendency to forget or to not be able to strictly follow the steps. Thus, you need to have another alternative effortless way that would add on to your effort of getting slim. Weight loss drinks are one such easy way to down. Here are few weight loss drinks -

1.Vegetable Stalk – Drink two glasses of vegetable stalk before lunch. This weight loss drink is a high source of fiber and full of nutrition. The fiber make you feel full and thus you end up eating less of calories. According to researchers of University of Penn, drinking vegetable stalk before lunch can help cut down on 135 less calories. Vegetable stalk is also very good for skin.

2.Drink Ice Cold Water – Drinking ice cold water can help you burn 200 calories. When you drink cold water, your body calories to rink that water to body temperature. Cold water also increases metabolism. This, leads to burning of calories and loosing weight.

3.Fruit Smoothies – Fruit smoothies workout your digestive system. This means no undigested food is left in the stomach, which is leading to fat content. Smoothies detoxifies the body, cleansing your body. It is best to have a glass of smoothies along with lunch. Don't add extra sugar or honey to the weight loss drink.

4.Green Tea – Green tea is famous for it's slimming capabilities. It boosts metabolism and regulates digestive process. It also is a source of antioxidants. Drink green tea after every meal for best results.

5.Milk – Milk is a good source of calcium which breakdown fat into fat cells. Thus, prevent it to accumulate in the body causing ugly flab. Two glasses of milk in a day is enough for an adult.

6.Protein Drink – Protein intake turns fat into lean muscles, thus preventing fat accumulation. The more your muscles are formed, the more calories are burned. Thus, prevent accumulation of fat.

These six weight loss drinks also work wonders on your immune system and blood purification. This leads to greater strength, lesser number of sick leaves and glowing skin.

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Green Tea Beauty Benefits

2010-12-15T14:20:00.001+08:00

By Sheena M. Brockington on November 29, 2010

Green tea is a natural, drinkable beauty solution that women of all ages can luxuriate in, whether as a cup of tea in the morning or as applied directly to the skin. Beauty product manufacturers embrace the beauty benefits of green tea by adding it to their products. Green tea and green tea extracts can be found in everything from eye cream and lotion to toner and face wash.

Ease Your Sunburn Sting

The beaming sun during summer months can cause unsightly and painful sunburn. Green tea can help soothe the skin if applied directly to the affected areas. The Women Fitness website suggests preparing a pot of green tea, allowing it to chill and then using a cloth to apply the green tea to the sunburned areas of the skin. Avoid rubbing; use the cloth as you would a cold compress.

Refresh Your Skin

If your current skincare regimen includes a toner, consider using green tea as an all-natural replacement to your current toner. Green tea contains natural antioxidants that are known to act as anti-inflammatory agents and have a soothing effect on the skin, according to Web MD. Whether you have dry, combination or sensitive skin, you can create your own toner at home using a recipe from Canadian Living website. Combine 1 cup spring water, 4 tsp. tea leaves and 1 tsp. mint leaves. Start by boiling the water; once it's ready, add the tea leaves to create an infusion. Let it stand for at least 10 minutes, strain and allow to cool completely before placing the mixture in a glass or plastic storage container. The Plant Green website offers an alternative suggestion for creating a green tea toner at home. Brew green tea, freeze it into ice cubes and use slightly melted cubes as toner for your skin.

Lose and Maintain Weight

Start your morning with a cup of green tea and take advantage of its fat-burning benefits. The University of Maryland Medical Center reports that when caffeine, polyphenols and catechins, all properties of green tea, team up, they can be used for weight loss. While the combination won't cause you to instantly shed pounds, it can help you maintain your current weight and possibly improve your weight loss results.

Say "Goodbye" to Free Radical Damage

You are exposed daily to potential free radical damage from pollution inside and outside. Free radical damage can cause disease and increase the visible effects of aging. Antioxidants in foods and drinks, such as green tea, step in and help your skin win the war against free radical damage. The Women Fitness website reports that the antioxidant level in green tea is more powerful than vitamin C.

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Forget the eggnog — load up on healthy green tea

2010-12-14T14:48:00.000+08:00

ALEX HANDYSIDE THE GREY ZONE
Mon, Dec 13 - 4:53 AM

I’M A HUGE fan of green tea, and if you haven’t tried it yet, I think you should. It’s packed full of anti-oxidants. These are naturally occurring good biochemicals that mop up other naturally occurring nasties called free radicals.

Many experts believe free radicals are a major factor in the development of coronary artery disease, blood clots, macular degeneration, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease and many cancers. I’ve always liked my fruit and veggies — after all, they are high in anti-oxidants. Then I discovered that green tea contains 10 times more antioxidants than antioxidant-rich blueberries, pomegranates and cranberries. And because green teas are minimally processed (its leaves are withered and steamed), its antioxidants are about twice as concentrated as those in black teas (whose leaves are crushed and fermented).

Many studies have looked at how green tea battles cancer: one Japanese study of nearly 500 Japanese women with Stage I and Stage II breast cancer found that drinking green tea before and after surgery was associated with lower recurrence of the cancers. Studies in China have shown the more green tea that participants drank, the less the risk of developing stomach cancer, esophageal cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer and colorectal cancer. A recent analysis of 22 studies that investigated the correlation between high tea consumption and reduced risk for lung cancer concluded that increasing your intake of green (but not black) tea by two cups per day may reduce the risk of developing lung cancer by 18 per cent.
With regard to green tea and heart health, it’s known that lifestyle and overall diet are far more critical than any one food group. Green tea’s antioxidants are dilators that will certainly improve the flexibility of blood vessels and make them less vulnerable to clogging.

A Dutch study of more than 3,000 men and women did find that the more tea consumed, the less severe the clogging of the heart’s blood vessels, especially in women.

Green tea has also been linked to weight loss, but the evidence is less clear. Green tea and its extract have been shown to fight lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol and obesity, two risk factors for heart disease and diabetes. In one Japanese study, 240 men and women were given varying amounts of green tea extract. Those who got the highest amount of extract lost the most fat and weight and had lower blood pressure and lower LDL cholesterol.

Besides being calorie-free, green tea appears to stimulate weight loss through the action of plant-based compounds called phytochemicals that temporarily cause the body to burn more calories and melt fat. The benefit lasts only a few hours, so researchers concluded it may help to drink green tea at least twice a day.

So how much is enough? Research shows that regular tea drinkers (two or more cups a day), have less heart disease and stroke, lower cholesterol, and that they recover from heart attacks faster. In a study that involved 500 Japanese men and women, researchers found that drinking at least four cups of green tea every day may be related to the reduced severity of coronary heart disease among male participants. Personally, I drink six to eight cups per day in place of the recommended six to eight glasses of water.

One area that most experts do agree on is that the effect green tea extracts and supplements have on the body is unknown and may actually cause damage. If you’re going to reap the many rewards of green tea, drink it straight-up: no pills, powders, pipes or potions.

So this season lay off that ‘liquid heart-attack’ called eggnog and just enjoy a really nice hot cuppa with your Yuletide turkey!

Alex Handyside is a Certified Senior Adviser and the owner-operator of ScotiaCare Homecare & Caregivers.

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Boost Your Metabolism By Drinking Green Tea

2010-12-12T18:19:00.000+08:00

For thousands of years, people in Asia have been drinking green tea for medicinal reasons. Culled from the leaves of an evergreen shrub named Camella Sinensis, researchers still continue to analyze the properties of green tea.

More recently many Americans have begun adding green tea to their weight loss or fitness regimes. According to some studies, green tea contains natural components which enable more rapid calorie burn as well as loss of fat, particularly the type which tends to build up around the midsection of the body.

Although playfully referred to as "love handles," fat which targets this area is considered a potential health danger. It is often linked to many serious illnesses, including heart ailments, blood clots and diabetes.

Dr. Andrew Weil, M.D., renowned expert on natural health and nutrition, is a huge fan of green tea. In his essay, "My Life With Tea," Dr. Weil speaks of this drink with great conviction: "Green tea is perhaps the most healthful beverage human beings can consume. Studies either strongly suggest or confirm that the antioxidants in green tea can reduce LDL cholesterol, promote fat burning, reduce the risk of several forms of cancer and alleviate depression."

And it tastes really, really good.

Green tea may be something of a medical marvel, but it also comes in a dizzying multitude of flavors. A cup of green tea gives off a richly soothing scent. Hot or cold, regular or decaffeinated, green tea can be chugged over ice before a workout for an extra boost of energy, or sipped quietly at the end of a long day.

At the Harmony Tea Room in Westwood, tea parties are not just the domain of imaginative little girls. This inviting locale is perfect for parties, book club gatherings or lunches. Along with soups, sandwiches and other tasty treats, owner MaryAnn Bassett offers three uniquely flavorful types of tea:

Sencha green, of Japanese origin, is made from leaves which are steamed, rolled into oblong curls, then dried.
Genmaicha green, also from Japan, is made with roasted brown rice. Nicknamed "popcorn tea" because after drying, the rice kernels resemble popcorn.
Jasmine green from Taiwan is lushly fragrant with jasmine blossoms.

Starbucks in Westwood serves it up hot, cold or blended. Choose from China Green, Chai Green Latte, Green Tea Lemonade or Zen Green Tea (sweetly blended with lemongrass and spearmint). Iced green tea is first brewed hot on the premises, then freshly iced and shaken by hand.

Nina Owens, owner of The Nature of Things in Westwood, keeps a selection of boxed green tea on hand to keep up with the demand of regular customers. "One gentleman always comes in after working out for our Yogi brand Muscle Recovery Green Tea," she said. "Other customers who are into exercise like the Yogi Energy Green Tea." The Nature of Things also carries LongLife's handmade organic green and green decaf, a nice alternative to mass produced teas.

Trader Joe's in Westwood offers seasonal Candy Cane Green Tea in bags, as well as Super Antioxidant, Jasmine and Cranberry Green. Trader Joe's Kettle Brewed Unsweetened Green & White Tea (with a hint of mint!) is a year round favorite. This perfect mixture of green and white tea has a fresh, light taste. Unlike some prepared teas, this one is unsweetened and has zero calories. Sold by the gallon jug, keep it in the fridge and drink freely.

The quaintly charming atmosphere at the Rolling Pin Café in Westwood is a perfect place to sip their naturally delicious Ginger Green tea. Served by the pot, sit-down cup or if you must, take it to go.
For many people green tea is more than a healthy habit. It is a gratifying ritual that begins or ends each day. The act of preparing tea is a calming one.

Expensive cups, tableware or teapots are not needed to properly enjoy your own relaxing tea-time. LN Grand/True Value Hardware in Westwood is an old-fashioned "general store" that sells a variety of charming teapots and cups at very reasonable prices.

Green tea is remarkably flexible. It can rev up the metabolism or soothe jangled nerves.
But whether you drink green tea for pleasure or purpose, most of all be certain to enjoy it!

About this column:

Westwood Wellness offers a look at what to do in the area as far as health and wellness is concerned. Andrea Kahn delves into a variety of wellness issues, including diet and exercise options. Want to see something in particular? E-mail michelle.sartor@patch.com.

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The Green Ttea Boost

2010-12-11T12:39:00.000+08:00

Charlyn Fargo, Contributor

Can green tea really help people lose weight? Some studies suggest that two to four cups of green tea daily could provide some extra help when you cut calorie consumption and boost your activity to lose weight, but don't expect it to produce a major loss. Natural compounds in green tea, especially a polyphenol known as EGCG, may support weight loss. Studies that do show an effect of green tea or isolated EGCG show an average of about an extra one to three pounds of weight loss over several months, especially among those who are moderately obese.

Some vitamin supplements or products that claim to promote weight loss list EGCG or green-tea extract content, but they may contain an amount well below levels linked with weight loss in controlled studies.

If you enjoy green tea, drinking two or three 8-ounce mugs or three to four 6-ounce cups freshly brewed (not bottled) each day provides levels of EGCG associated with these modest improvements in weight loss. Extracts or isolated EGCG in appropriate amounts may help, too, but when you get these compounds from drinking tea, you may end up with additional help towards your weight-loss goal.
- American Institute for Cancer Research

Fat children

The latest statistics show that 32 per cent of children (two to 19 years old) are overweight or obese. And the same data confirm that obese children are more likely to develop adverse health outcomes later in life, according to the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, October 2010. The article urges all of us to push strategies to reverse the trend.

The key is to lower calories consumed in the form of snacks and desserts. The researchers identify many of those snacks and desserts as empty calories, full of 'solid fats' and added sugars. Sugar-sweetened beverages are the highest contributors to the sugar intake in children followed by desserts - cookies, cake and pie. The American Dietetic Association (ADA) recommends substituting nutrient-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables and non-fat dairy.

The ADA leads a consortium of groups to end childhood obesity within a generation. Here are their recommendations:

Increase access to and consumption of affordable and appealing fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products and lean meats in and out of school.

Stimulate children and youth to be more physically active for 60 minutes every day in and out of school.
Boost resources (financial/rewards/incentives/training/technical assistance) to schools in order to improve physical fitness and nutrition programmes.

Educate and motivate children and youth to eat the recommended daily servings of nutrient-rich foods and beverages.

Empower children and youth to take action at their school and at home to develop their own pathways to better fitness and nutrition for life.

Charlyn Fargo is a registered dietitian at Creators Syndicate www.creators.com.

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How to Lose Weight by drinking Green Tea from Dr. Natasha Turner, author of The Hormone Diet

2010-12-08T13:43:00.000+08:00

Dr. Natasha Turner explains how to lose weight by drinking green tea.

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Green tea may increase post-meal satiety: Study

2010-12-04T10:07:00.000+08:00

By Nathan Gray, 03-Dec-2010

Drinking green tea after a meal might boost satiety levels, but has very little effect on blood glucose levels or glycemic index, according to a new study.

The research, published in the Nutrition Journal, suggests that the antioxidant-rich beverage could boost feelings of fullness, but found no evidence to support previous suggestions that it may moderate insulin sensitivity or glucose levels.

The researchers, led by Dr Julija Josic from Lund University, Sweden, said the overall sensation of satiety was boosted more after a meal accompanied by green tea than after a reference meal accompanied by water.
They said their conclusions that green tea significantly boosted satiety were supported by the fact that “not only was satiety increased, but also the feeling of fullness and the feeling of having had enough to consume.”

Green tea

The compounds thought to contribute to the health-promoting effects ascribed to green tea are polyphenolic compounds called catechins, which have been the focus of many previous studies on green tea, due to their anti-oxidative properties and their potential role in preventing cancer and cardiovascular disease.
But some research has also suggested a possible link between green tea consumption and diabetes risk, reporting that tea drinking could bring modest benefits for glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity.

There are four major catechins in green tea: epicatechin (EC), epicatechin gallate (ECG), epigallocatechin (EGC) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), of which EGCG is the most abundant.

The authors said that intervention studies with green tea extract in healthy rodents and humans have demonstrated increased insulin sensitivity after an oral glucose tolerance test with EGCG was found to have most insulin-enhancing activity in animal in vitro studies.

However,H several studies have observed that neither green tea extracts nor EGCG have any effect on fasting glucose, insulin sensitivity or glucose levels.

“To our best knowledge, this is the first study to examine the effect of green tea on both the glucose metabolism and satiety, after the ingestion of a regular meal,” said the researchers.

“The primary objective of this study was to determine whether ingestion of a regular meal and green tea lower postprandial [post-meal] plasma glucose levels, glycemic index, and insulin levels. The secondary objective, was to establish whether consumption of a regular meal including green tea increase the satiety,” they added.

Study details

No significant differences in serum insulin levels or insulin were reported between the green tea meal and a reference meal during a 120 min post-meal observation period.

Josic and colleagues also observed no difference in glucose levels, with 120 min glucose value found to be higher following the green tea meal, and there was no significant difference found in mean glycemic index between the green tea and reference meal.

After the reference meal, the subjects reported finding it more pleasant to eat another mouthful of the same food than after the green tea meal, again confirming the increased feeling of satiety.

Josic and co workers said that differences in taste perception between the green tea and control water drink may have been responsible for the satiety-promoting effects, and so contributed to a stronger satiety sensation after the green tea meal than after the reference meal. They noted that measurements of taste perception during the meals would have provided additional information about this potential confounder.

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Gargling Green Tea Can Fight Flu

2010-12-01T09:37:00.000+08:00

Gargle green tea to fight off flu bugs

Could gargling with green tea prevent flu? It contains compounds called catechins, which have been shown, in lab research, to prevent the infection.

One small Japanese study at the University of Shizuoka showed that nursing home residents who gargled with green tea three times a day for three months were less likely to get flu than those who did not.

Larger clinical trials are now under way, involving more than 600 teenagers. Young people were chosen because flu spreads quickly and easily among students.

Researchers have yet to discover exactly how catechins work, but it is believed they have a general anti-viral effect. Gargling is thought to be a more effective way to tackle viruses than drinking, because this way the bugs are exposed to the liquid for longer.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1334187/Latest-health-findings-Gargling-green-tea-fight-flu-ear-implant-banish-dizziness.html#ixzz16ovLCeqQ

Drink Tava Tea for Weight Loss
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Pomegranate Juice

Tava Tea: An Amazing Weight Loss Tea

2010-11-25T10:46:00.003+08:00

You may have heard a lot of controversy regarding weight loss supplements. Inferior quality of ingredients, which may work against your health, are the main reason behind these controversies.

Tava Tea

Long established and respectable weight loss product uses high quality blend and unprocessed ingredients, makes it far superior from its competitors. Its countless health benefits are experienced by drinkers of this amazing tea.

Some of the benefits you get from drinking Tava Tea

Good ource of antioxidants

Excellent anti-aging remedy

Shed excess pounds effectively

Beautifies your skin

Main Ingredients of Tava Tea

Green Puerh

This ingredient can rid you of unpleasant problems such as bloating and flatulence. It keeps your cholesterol levels in check and at the same time boosts your metabolism.

Oolong

One of the remarkable properties of oolong tea is that it heals skin problems such as acne, clears your complexion eliminates some skin problems like eczema. It also strengthens your teeth.

Green Sencha

We encounter stress everyday and green sencha is very good at regulating blood pressure and reducing stress levels. It has great anti-bacterial properties and will lower your risk of suffering from cancer.

Combine these three ingredients in the right proportion and you'll get something that far surpasses other tea blends.

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Click here to learn more about Tava Tea.

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Fruits and Vegetables May Prolong Your Life

2010-11-23T11:40:00.000+08:00

Study Shows Foods Rich in Antioxidants May Reduce the Risk of Death

By Jennifer Warner
WebMD Health News

Nov. 22, 2010 -- Eat your veggies and you may live longer, a study suggests.

The study shows that eating foods rich in antioxidants, like vegetables and fruits, fights disease and may prolong life.

Researchers found that people with the highest levels of the antioxidant alpha-carotene in their blood had a 39% lower risk of death from any cause, including heart disease and cancer, than those who had the lowest levels of the antioxidant during the 14-year study.

"These findings support increasing fruit and vegetable consumption as a means of preventing premature death," write researcher Chaoyang Li, MD, PhD, of the CDC and colleagues in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Alpha-carotene is part of a group of antioxidants known as carotenoids, which also includes beta-carotene and lycopene. Vegetables particularly high in alpha-carotene include yellow-orange vegetables, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and winter squash, and dark green vegetables, such as broccoli, green beans, green peas, spinach, turnip greens, collards, and lettuce.

Although previous studies have suggested eating more fruits and vegetables is associated with a lower risk of disease, studies have not shown that taking beta-carotene supplements reduces the risk of dying from heart disease or cancer.

Researchers wanted to see if other carotenoids may also play a role in reducing the risk of disease.

Reduced Risk of Death

In this study, researchers looked at the relationship between blood levels of alpha-carotene and the risk of death in 15,318 adults who participated in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
Follow-up Study.

The participants provided blood samples between 1988 and 1994 and were followed through 2006.

The results showed the risk of dying during the follow-up period was consistently lower in people with higher levels of alpha-carotene in the blood. The protective effect of alpha-carotene also increased as blood levels of the antioxidant increased.

For example, compared with people with the lowest levels of alpha-carotene (between 0 and 1 microgram per deciliter) the risk of death was 23% lower among those who had concentrations of between 2 and 3 micrograms per deciliter. The risk of death was 39% lower among those with the highest levels of alpha-carotene in their blood (9 micrograms per deciliter or higher).

Researchers say higher levels of the antioxidant were also linked to a lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease or cancer as well as from any other cause.

They say alpha-carotene is chemically similar to beta-carotene but may be more effective at protecting cells in the brain, liver and skin.

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Coke: Antioxidants will be replaced by 'polyphenols'

2010-11-21T09:32:00.001+08:00

By Shane Starling, 05-Nov-2010

With antioxidants failing to impress European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) scientists and the term itself therefore likely to soon become an unauthorised health claim in the EU, antioxidant forms like polyphenols are filling the marketing void, a Coca-Cola spokesperson has said.

Antioxidants as a marketing term hangs in the balance

Michele Kellerhals, Coke’s Belgium-based research and innovation director told the Fresenius Functional Food conference last week that the world’s biggest beverage company had been watching the EU health claims situation very closely and noted developments in the area of antioxidants.

In a Q&A session on the first day of the two-day conference in Frankfurt, Germany, Kellerhals commented on the vast rejection of article 13, generic antioxidant claims by EFSA’s health claims panel to date.
“Industry will build the term polyphenols over time,” he said after a presentation outlining Coke’s approach to healthy beverages. “There is no doubt there has been some level of impact for us but others have been impacted more. The problem we all have now is how to translate what is happening into consumer-friendly messaging.”

“It is something we are working on. When you talk to some marketing people they think a claim is the easy way out. But when you talk to consumers, that is not the case. But we see this process an opportunity for the industry.”

Antioxidants inside

EFSA’s health claims panel has stated: “…no evidence has been provided to establish that having antioxidant activity/content and/or antioxidant properties is a beneficial physiological effect.”

But just two weeks ago, in the third batch of article 13.1 opinions, the panel concluded of vitamin E, “that a cause and effect relationship has been established between the dietary intake of vitamin E and protection of DNA, protein and lipids from oxidative damage.”

So the panel has acknowledged an antioxidant effect in that instance as it has done with vitamin C. It is now down to the European Commission and member states to interpret these opinions before adoption, rejection or amendment, and the use of terms like ‘polyphenol’ or ‘flavonol’ that are relevant to them.
But this won’t happen until at least the end of next year.

Funcitonal Foods conference

While the conference had a scientific bent with many academics presenting updates on areas such as fibre (Dr Fred Brouns, Maastricht University, the Netherlands), pro- and prebiotics (Dr Kristin Verbeke, University Leuven, Belgium), brain health (Dr Louise Dye, University of Leeds, UK) and diabetes (Dr Gabriele Riccardi, Frederico II University, Italy) the Q&A sessions revealed how primary the EU health claim situation had become.

All four pointed to emerging and promising science but noted in many cases the kind of evidence EFSA sought was not fully in existence, and it may take some time before that was the case, if ever.

Sam Waterfall, from the UK-based Healthy Marketing Team, a firm that consults functional food brands, responded to a question about probiotic claims by saying regardless of EFSA mass rejecting them so far, the ‘probiotic health story’ was so strong that consumers didn’t care.

He likened it the Popeye-spinach story, where consumers had constructed a health halo around the vegetable even if research indicated that the iron in regular spinach showed poor bioavailability.

“But there are contingency plans in place because obviously changes are occurring in what can and can’t be said about these kinds of products,” Waterfall said.

Conference chair, Nigel Baldwin, from the consultancy Cantox International, noted the panel had expressed a, “dislike of the term ‘immunity',” and future submissions should be aware of that.
Other speakers at the event included Barbara Klaus from the legal firm Meyer Meisterernst in Italy; Deiderick Meyer from Sensus; Gerd Harzer from Kraft Foods R&D and Gerrit Smit and Elke Trautwein from Unilever R&D.

NutraIngredients health claims 2010

These matters and more will be discussed at the second NutraIngredients Health Claims 2010 conference to be held in Brussels on December 1. The conference will deconstruct the latest article 13.1 claim opinions, hear first-hand experience from players like Kellogg’s and Martek, outline regulation-coping marketing strategies, and feature comparison with the US claims system from leading industry figures, Dr Andrew Shao and Jonathan Emord.

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Pomegranate Juice: Beyond Antioxidants, Potential Benefits For Dialysis Patients

2010-11-20T08:53:00.000+08:00

Pomegranate juice reduces damage to tissues, inflammation and infections

Studies in recent years have claimed multiple health benefits of pomegranate juice, including that it is a good source of antioxidants and lowers both cholesterol and blood pressure, especially in diabetic and hypertensive patients. A preliminary study now suggests that it can ward off a number of complications in kidney disease patients on dialysis, including the high morbidity rate due to infections and cardiovascular events, according to a paper being presented at the American Society of Nephrology's 43rd Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in Denver, CO.

Batya Kristal, MD, FASN (Western Galilee Hospital, in Nahariya, Ruth & Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel), PhD candidate, Lilach Shema, and colleagues studied 101 dialysis patients who received either pomegranate juice or another placebo drink at the beginning of each dialysis session, three times a week for one year.

Laboratory tests showed that patients who drank pomegranate juice experienced reduced inflammation and the damage of oxidative stress caused by free radicals, was minimized. Furthermore, pomegranate juice drinkers were less likely to be hospitalized due to infections. These findings support other studies that suggest pomegranate juice has potent antioxidant properties.

Recent analyses of data not included in this abstract, revealed that those who drank pomegranate juice also showed an improvement in cardiovascular risk factors, such as reduced blood pressure, improvement in lipid profile and fewer cardiovascular events, suggesting that they had better heart health. These results are in agreement with other studied populations and particularly important for hemodialysis patients, because most kidney disease patients die either from cardiovascular-related causes or infections.

The authors say their findings suggest that drinking a controlled amount of pomegranate juice with a safe and monitored content of potassium may help reduce the complications that often occur in dialysis patients. It is important to consider the risk involved in potassium overload, especially in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients with dietary potassium restriction.

"Considering the expected epidemic of CKD in the next decade, further clinical trials using pomegranate juice aimed at reducing the high cardiovascular morbidity of CKD patients and their deterioration to end-stage renal disease should be conducted," said Dr. Kristal.

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Green Tea May Help Fight Alzheimer's Disease
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Green tea and pimples

2010-11-17T13:28:00.000+08:00

Green tea has proved to be anti-bacterial that reduces inflammation, decreases hormone activity, capable of killing the potentially deadly Staphylococcus Aureus and the bacteria that cause Bacterium acne.

Green tea’s antioxidants have been shown to be highly beneficial to acne prevention. These antioxidants help your body to fight against free radicals that cause damage to cells and tissues in your body. Green tea therapy is less toxic and has fewer or no side effects as compare to other drug based products. Simply putting green tea bags on the face can work quite rapidly.

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Green Tea - Does It Work Miracles?

Boost your meditation skills with isochronic tones

Free Radical Damage reduced by Antioxidants

2010-11-15T18:18:00.000+08:00

As we age we are susceptible to free radical damage and the best way to repair this damage is through a healthy dose of antioxidants. Free radicals, also known simply as radicals, are organic molecules responsible for aging, tissue damage, and possibly some diseases. These molecules are very unstable, therefore they look to bond with other molecules, destroying their vigor and causing them to change structure. In nature, this is a normal process. If a car is left in a field, over a period of time it will rust and this is known as oxidative stress. Inside the body, this stress caused by free radicals damages the body on a cellular level and leaves it vulnerable to attacks from diseases. Cancer and other degenerative diseases are linked to free radicals in this way.

Antioxidants are the best source of defense against free radicals. Present in many foods, antioxidants are molecules that prevent free radicals from harming healthy tissue and can strengthen the cells to resist damage. They bind together with dangerous free radicals and decrease their destructive power. It is difficult today to find food with the right amount of antioxidants in them and the best choices for antioxidant-rich foods are found in dark green leafy vegetables. Items high in vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene are believed to be the most beneficial. These nutrients are commonly found in fruits and vegetables, those with the strongest colors being healthiest. Orange and red peppers, tomatoes, spinach, and carrots are examples. Since it is hard to get a full supply of antioxidants from food, a good, high-grade, supplement is a must to help protect the body from free radical damage.

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Organic Veggies Don't Have Healthy Antioxidants

2010-11-14T11:10:00.000+08:00

Organically grown onions, carrots, and potatoes generally do not have higher levels of healthful antioxidants and related substances than vegetables> grown with traditional fertilizers and pesticides, scientists have reported.

In the study, Pia Knuthsen and colleagues point out that there are many reasons to pay a premium for organic food products. The most important reasons for the popularity of organic food products include improved animal welfare, environmental protection, better taste, and possible health benefits. However, the health benefits of organic food consumption are still controversial and not considered scientifically well documented.

The scientists describe experiments in which they analyzed antioxidants termed 'polyphenols' from onions, carrots and potatoes grown using conventional and organic methods. They found no differences in polyphenol content for organic vs. traditional methods of growth.

"On the basis of the present study carried out under well controlled conditions, it cannot be concluded that organically grown onions, carrots, and potatoes generally have higher contents of health-promoting secondary metabolites in comparison with the conventionally cultivated ones," the report stated.

Their study has been published in ACS' bi-weekly Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Read more: Organic veggies don't have healthy antioxidants - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/diet/Organic-veggies-dont-have-healthy-antioxidants/articleshow/6870680.cms#ixzz15Dslxe4W

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Green Tea May Help Fight Alzheimers Disease

2010-11-08T12:26:00.000+08:00

November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Month, bringing attention to the 5.3 million Americans who are affected by this disease. With the baby boomer generation rapidly aging, Alzheimer’s will continue to affect millions more lives. Green Tea has a popular reputation for its health benefits and is known for benefiting conditions such as cancer, high cholesterol and cardiovascular problems.

Green tea has once again proved itself as a ‘super’ tea. An antioxidant in green tea (a flavonoid found in plants) may fight the memory robbing effects seen with plaque deposits in Alzheimer’s.

Practitioner Dr. Martha Howard, MD recommends drinking green tea to help prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s for the following three reasons.

The antioxidant known as epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) significantly reduces the formation of beta-amyloid proteins in the brain. An abnormal buildup of beta-amyloid plaque in the brain is implicated in the nerve damage and memory loss seen in Alzheimer’s disease.
Tea inhibits the activity of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) which breaks down the chemical messenger or neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. Alzheimer’s is characterized by a drop in acetylcholine.
Green tea hinders the activity of the enzyme butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE). Green tea has Catechins in which half is made up of EGCG, which is 20 times more powerful than vitamin C as an antioxidant.

Published on behalf of Chicago Healers
Chicago Healers is the nation’s pioneer prescreened integrative health care network, offering a comprehensive understanding of each practitioner’s services, approach, and philosophy. Our holistic health experts teach and advocate natural and empowered health and life choices through their practices, the media, educational events, and our website. With close to 200 practitioners and over 300 treatment services, Chicago Healers has provided nearly 400 free educational events for Chicagoans and has been featured in 300+ TV news programs and print publications. For more information, visit http://www.chicagohealers.com/.

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Green tea: Does it work miracles?

2010-11-01T12:50:00.000+08:00

By Amanda Putz

aputz@uccs.edu

Published: Monday, October 4, 2010

Updated: Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Green tea is society's current "it" product and can be found in diet pills, drinks, beauty supplies and even our beloved ice cream. It is an integral ingredient because it contains antioxidants that fight free radicals and help decrease chances of certain health problems. The green tea antioxidants are called catechins; these antioxidants search for free radicals in the body that contribute to cancers, the aging process, diabetes and blood clots.

Originating in China, the tea is made from the leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant. Many countries, China included, have used green tea in their diets for centuries and have experienced its subsequent health effects. These benefits, however, are only achieved when coupled with a well-balanced diet of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

According to Jackie Berning, a professor in the Biology Department, "If you want to have a cup of green tea in the morning that's fine, but you also need to incorporate more fruits and vegetables and watch the amount of fast food you're putting in your body."

The main difference between green tea and the other Chinese teas like black and oolong, is its method of processing. The green tea process is more delicate, and instead of being fermented, green tea leaves are steamed. By steaming the leaves, the green tea catechins, the most prominent being epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), becomes more concentrated. In this form EGCG can assist in the reduction of cancer tumors and has other therapeutic properties as well.

Another major health benefit of green tea is its aid in weight loss; research shows that green tea boosts a user's metabolism, decreases appetite and will inhibit fat absorption. Consequently, there are approximately 20 weight loss products with green tea as a prominent ingredient. The most effective of these contain caffeinated green tea. Diet pills in general contain caffeine because it increases the user's heart rate, making it easier to lose weight when he or she exercises.

While green tea is beneficial, it is not the cure-all supplement. Eating healthfully will ensure positive green tea results. Also, being aware of the health dangers of consuming vast amounts of caffeine on a daily basis is important to consider. Studies advise three to five cups of green tea daily, but if this is too difficult, green tea extract, green tea pills or a green tea patch are available options.

Source

Is Green Tea Really an Anti-Cancer Miracle?

Green tea may delay onset of type-1 diabetes

2010-11-01T10:39:00.000+08:00

ISLAMABAD: A powerful antioxidant in green tea may prevent or delay the onset of type-1 diabetes, according to a study.

Researchers were testing EGCG, green tea’s predominant anti-oxidant, on a lab mouse with type-1 diabetes and primary Sjogren’s syndrome, which damages moisture-producing glands, causing dry mouth and eyes.
"Our study focused on Sjogren’s syndrome, so learning that EGCG also can prevent and delay insulin-dependent type 1 diabetes was a big surprise," said Stephen Hsu, molecular cell biologist at the School of Dentistry, Medical College of Georgia (MCG). The study was published Friday in Life Sciences.

In the mouse, EGCG reduced the severity and delayed onset of salivary gland damage associated with Sjogren’s syndrome, which has no known cure.

"EGCG modulates several important genes, so it suppresses the abnormality at the molecular level in the salivary gland. It also significantly lowered the serum auto-antibodies, reducing the severity of Sjogren’s syndrome-like symptoms," Hsu said. Auto-antibodies are antibodies the body makes against itself.

Both type-1 diabetes and Sjogren’s syndrome are autoimmune diseases, which cause the body to attack itself. Autoimmune disorders are the third most common group of diseases in US and affect about eight percent of the population, an MCG press release, quoting Hsu, said.

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Kiwi: Full of Taste and Antioxidants

2010-10-31T08:17:00.000+08:00

A Japanese study shows green tea consumption does not help protect a person from the risk of breast cancer.
Previous research regarding the intake of the green tea suggested its potential to protect a person from obtaining breast cancer. However, the latest study of Japanese researchers found no connection between green tea and breast cancer protection among Japanese women subjects.

The finding’s report is published in the Breast Cancer Research journal.

Lead researcher Dr. Motoki Iwasaki, at the Research Center for Cancer Prevention and Screening of the National Cancer Center in Tokyo, said that their team found no association between the protection from the risk of breast cancer from habitual intake of green tea by large number of Japanese women.

He added on their finding that the habitual drinking of green tea among those women does not reduce the risk of acquiring the illness.

According to Iwasaki, one factor regarding the strength of their new study was its potential, the data and information they have was gathered before the acquisition of the breast cancer illness.

Experts studied 53,793 individuals, between 1995 and 1998. These women were asked about the amount of green tea they consumed.

Researchers asked the question at the start of their study, and after five years, they took another survey, questioning participants regarding two different kind of green tea, Bancha/Genmaicha and Sencha.

On the study, 12 percent of these women drink less than a cup of green tea a week, while almost 27 percent drink more than five cups a day and others drinks up to ten cups daily.

After 14 years of follow-up on their research, 350 women were diagnosed to have breast cancer. Still, researchers found no links between green tea intake and the possible development of breast cancer to a person.

Source

Antioxidants Can Improve Insulin Sensitivity

Secret to look attractive

2010-10-27T15:52:00.000+08:00

A study into why some people are more attractive than others has found that it may all be due to oxidative stress and antioxidants.

Psychologists have discovered that men who were rated as the most physically attractive by women have the lowest levels of markers of oxidative stress.

"These findings have several important implications," the Independent quoted psychologist Dr Steven Gangestad, who led the study, as saying.

"They fit in with the idea that women evolved to find particular features attractive because those features are related to low levels of oxidative stress," he stated.

Researchers found that it is not a chosen trait but one that is inborn, and which has evolved over time as a way of distinguishing the virile from the weak.

As cells use oxygen to make energy, they can create free radicals. These are unstable molecules that can have chemical reactions with other molecules, causing the cell damage known as oxidative stress.

Free radicals can be kept in check by antioxidants, but if there is an overabundance of radicals, the resulting oxidative stress can damage DNA and tissue.

Oxidative stress is thought to be a major cause of mutations and to play a part in ageing and a host of diseases, including cancer.

The findings have been published in the journal Animal Behaviour .

Source:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/beauty/Secret-to-look-attractive/articleshow/6808740.cms

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Acai Berry Demands Rise High in India

2010-10-27T15:29:00.000+08:00

Acai berry, the magical fruit with high nutrient content has found admirers in the east in India. The fruit is supposed to be highly-effective against weight loss.

it was during the last decade when the market of acai berry boomed in the US. But, from past few months, more and more individuals have started realizing the benefits of the fruit and its supplements.

Lately, a great hike has been encountered in the number of obese people in India who have been following acai berry health benefits.

They are leaving no stone unturned in getting their ration of acai berry supplements from big pharmaceutical shops or from the world’s biggest market place, Internet.

It is just not the obese segment of people falling for the advantages of acai berry. Even the leading nutritionists and gym trainers are advising people to take acai berry and its supplements.

Sometime back, India was not a big market for acai berry suppliers. However, within few years, the developing economy has shown chances of great business for acai producers and traders.

Even the online traders are shipping their consignments especially for the Indian users.

Source:
http://www.reporterslive.com/2214-acai-berry-demands-rise-high-in-india.html

Acai: A Bitter Berry With Sweet Results

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Is Green Tea Really an Anti-Cancer Miracle?

2010-10-23T09:09:00.000+08:00

If you’ve had cancer, or a precancerous condition, it’s time to talk with your doctor about using green tea extract. More and more research is showing that green tea extract can slow the progression of cancer. It doesn’t work for all cancers, but it seems to have a significant effect on some types. Its effect may even depend on genetic markers and hormone sensitivities associated with your type of cancer.

Some of the cancers that green tea can face down include prostate, esophageal, bladder, cervical, pancreatic, ovarian, lymphoma and leukemia. Green tea is also active against human papilloma virus (HPV) a sexually transmitted virus associated with cervical and anal cancer and warts.

(Since green tea can also apparently neutralize some chemotherapy treatments, such as Velcade, used for multiple myeloma and mantel cell lymphoma, it’s important that you consult with your doctor if you are undergoing treatment.)

The most recent study, by researchers at Louisiana State University, found that men scheduled for a radical prostatectomy due to cancer who took a green tea extract had a significant reduction in the markers predictive of prostate cancer progression. In some men, the drop was more than 30%! The reductions were in biochemicals that either stimulate cancer growth or indicate continued cancer growth. The men took a total of 1.3 grams of tea polyphenols, equivalent to about 12 cups of green tea. (McLarty, J, et al. Cancer Prev Res. 2009 June 19.) [E Pub ahead of print.]

Even though this was a small study, other evidence suggests that green tea can take on cancer. One study found that men with high-grade prostate intraepithelial neoplasia — cellular changes that often lead to cancer — who took green tea catechins 200 mg three times daily for a year, had a reduced risk of progression to prostate cancer. (Bettuzzi S, et al. Cancer Res .2006;66:1234-40.)

Polyphenols (catechins, such as EGCG) in tea appear to protect cells from DNA damage that can promote cancer. Animal research suggests that the EGCG in green tea may prevent new blood vessel growth in tumors, inhibit tumor cell proliferation, and induce death in cancer cells in at least two different ways.

The Anti-Aging Bottom Line: Green tea extract can be an important part of an anti-cancer arsenal. For general prevention, we recommend about 450 mg a day of a standardized green tea extract. Unlike brewed tea and non-standardized green tea extracts, our formula provides consistently high amounts of green tea’s most active constituents. If you’re being treated for cancer, it’s best to talk with your doctor about dosage.

Source:
http://www.stopagingnow.com/liveinthenow/article/is-green-tea-really-an-anti-cancer-miracle

Bottled Tea Comes Up Short in Antioxidant Tests

Antioxidants Could Improve Insulin Sensitivity In Some Adults

2010-10-15T19:43:00.000+08:00

October 15, 2010 by Personal Liberty News Desk

Approximately 34 percent of adults in the U.S. who are aged 20 years and older are obese, according to the latest statistics from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. However, new research has discovered that natural supplements could improve these individuals' health.

Italian researchers have found that natural antioxidants may have a positive impact on insulin-resistant obese adults, the Cortlandt Forum reports. The results were revealed at The Endocrine Society's 92nd Annual Meeting.

Although previous studies have shown that antioxidants can prevent further damage to cells, this was the first time that scientists looked at how the hormones of obese adults react when subjected to antioxidants, the news provider reports.

The researchers studied 13 women and 16 men who were between the ages of 18 and 66 and were obese. Each of the subjects ate a Mediterranean-type diet which was low in calories.

According to the news source, the participants were assigned to four different groups, three of which involved adding metformin, increasing the amount of antioxidants or a combination of both.

Researchers observed a significant decrease in insulin-resistance for the individuals who were assigned to the antioxidant diet. This was most prevalent in the group which had consumed the majority of these natural supplements.

Source:
http://www.personalliberty.com/news/antioxidants-could-improve-insulin-sensitivity-in-some-adults-800107146/

World of Warcraft
Antioxidant Rich Vegetables May Help in Joint Health

Acai: A bitter berry with sweet results

2010-10-14T10:15:00.000+08:00

By MARIAM ALIREZA, MARIAM.ALIREZA@GMAIL.COM

Published: Sep 22, 2010 20:36 Updated: Sep 22, 2010 20:36

We have come to the end of the 20 superfruits (mangoes, figs, oranges, strawberries, goji berries (wolfberries), red grapes, cranberries, kiwis, papayas, blueberries, tarts and sweet cherries, red raspberries, seaberries (seabuckthorn), guavas, blackberries, blackcurrants, dates, pomegranates, acai berries and prunes) recommended by the “Berry Doctor,” Dr. Paul Gross. They were carefully selected for their plethora of nutrients and detoxifying phytochemicals.

To earn their superfruit titles, they had to undergo multiple scientific researches and human trials. In the last week of Ramadan, I chose to write about the prune instead of the acai berry as the former is a popular fruit during the fasting month. So, today, I shall go back and discuss the acai berry, a berry that is quite unknown to many in the Middle East, Asia and even the West. Moreover, it has a name that is difficult to enunciate accurately. It is written acai but pronounced “ah-sigh-ee.”

Acai, Euterpe oleracea, is a small berry of a bluish-purplish color that grows in clusters at the very top of tall palm trees. It is native of the rainforests of Brazil and Panama. The equatorial countries, which produce it, hold a tight obscurity around the berry in order to keep its propriety within their circles. The berry’s deep purple pigment, which gives acai its powerful anthocyanicins, changes significantly in color and degrades in nutrients and benefits immediately after harvesting, making handling, preserving and processing the berry a delicate and challenging job for the industry. That is why it is very important to go through the process in an efficient manner or consume the berry very fresh — the way the Amazon natives do — in order to have its full medicinal value. Acai is a small berry with one large pit, producing only 20 percent of its size in edible bitter pulp, available frozen in puree form. Its extreme bitterness makes the fruit difficult to swallow raw or fresh, but the natives enjoy the berry and its dense-nutrient, immune-boosting effects.

An efficient process of protecting the nutrients and phytochemicals of the acai berry (rapid freezing and processing, adequate storage and transportation) may maintain a good portion of its nutritious elements. When such steps are not taken properly, most of its nutrients can degrade considerably. The delicate procedure of exporting and the degradation of nutrients make it almost impossible to find or eat fresh. The cultivating countries also restrict exportation of the seeds to other countries, keeping it within closed walls. It is only exported in the form of powder or frozen to be added to juices and smoothies. The fresh acai and its freeze-dried powder have an usual combination of nutrients like protein, vitamin E, omega fats, and lignans as well as soluble fiber (the richest among plant foods), phytosterols, and beta-istosterol to reduce cholesterol. On the negative side, it contains a significant amount of palmitic acid — a saturated fat — and is also a high source of calories.

Acai’s abundance in polyphenols of different anthocyanins, proanthocyanins, cyaniding glycosides, and tannins makes it an attractive subject for scientific research. The freeze-dried powdered berry has scored high among fruits on the ORAC, oxygen radical absorbance capacity — a measuring scale for antioxidants. This resulted in a media and marketing hype. However, ORAC scores in the test-tube do not necessarily translate in the same way in the human body, plus the testing of different processed fruits is not identical in order to obtain an accurate comparison. Therefore, the excitement around acai should not be considered a final verdict. Because polyphenols (anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, cyanidins and the many others) have promising disease-fighting and preventing characteristics, acai is being researched seriously to be used for infection, inflammation and cancer treatment. According to Gross, “Dr. Steve Talcott showed that growth of leukemia cells was inhibited” by anthocyanins and polyphenols in acai in test tubes. In more recent research, he also showed that acai suppressed colon cancer cell propagation. The same phytochemicals in red and black raspberries, cranberries and blue berries produced similar results too. Hopefully, scientific research intensifies in this area and others to lower risk of cancer, cardiovascular disorders and many other diseases.

Acai is found in the US and Europe in the forms of freeze-dried powder, frozen puree or pure juice. The pure juice is unpalatable because of its intense sourness and unattractive taste, which result from its low natural sugars and powerful phenolic acid. The bottled acai juice may not retain the same high nutritional value found in the fresh fruit as certain nutrients like monounsaturated fat (also found in olive oil), vitamin E and dietary fiber need to be removed to give the juice transparency. Consequently, the freeze-dried powder is the most appropriate choice available. However, I doubt any of its marketable forms are available in Saudi Arabia.

Acai powder can be added to juices, smoothies, yogurt, granola bars and cereals, and the frozen puree can be made into sorbets, jams, smoothies and ice creams. Furthermore, because of its low sugar, diabetics can also use it. It is worth adding the berry to your diet at least for health reasons. Very recent scientific evidence suggested that berries keep the brain young, prevent memory loss and protect against inflammation, oxidation damage and the effects of aging. Acai is among those powerful berries, which can rejuvenate the brain. The study also recommends fruits, vegetables, and nuts because of their powerful polyphenols. Since we have come to the last of the 20 superfruits, I must admit that I enjoyed sharing with you precious information about healthy fresh whole fruits. I would like to thank Dr. Paul Gross for emphasizing their importance for maintaining our health and preventing disease in a delicious and easy manner. One point I would like to stress is that all fruits are healthy. Because they are not created equal, I suggest you diversify your intake of fruits and vegetables. Each one provides different nutrients and phytocompounds, which complement the others. They are for you to enjoy!

N.B.: Individuals with medical conditions or on medication should consult their physicians when they decide to introduce anything new in their diet, even if it is natural.

Source:
http://arabnews.com/lifestyle/food_health/article144671.ece

Acai Berry Free Trial Offer

Dee Woods: Kiwi full of taste, antioxidants

2010-10-09T09:40:00.000+08:00

Mixing it up for good health
By Dee Woods

Question: What delicious fruit is actually from the berry family and considered to be one of the most nutritious and wholesome foods?

I didn’t know the answer until recently, so I suspect many of you may not. This wonderful fruit is known as the kiwifruit. I’ve only been hooked on it from the first time I tried it about 10 years ago and I had no idea of the wealth of benefits of this beautiful tasty, once rare, treat. It’s probably one of the very few foods I know of that is good for you and tastes scrumptious at the same time. The only downside was its cost.

The good news is that not only is it exceptionally nutritious, but it is in season from November to May. Many of them come from New Zealand and California is now beginning to grow them. It was originally imported into New Zealand because of its beauty. The plant itself looks ornamental and the fruit has a hair-like fuzzy texture with a gorgeous multi-green fruit within. I use it as a garnish on my fruit salads and watermelon bowls.
Kiwifruit is actually from the berry family, although it’s quite a large fruit. Naturally, because berries contain so many antioxidants, the kiwifruit is exceptionally healthful.

Kiwifruit holds so many vitamins and minerals, it nutritionally resembles a vegetable more so than a fruit. When I purchased my first fruit, it was about $2 a piece. Now that they are growing more abundantly in the California area, the price has come down quite a bit and the growing season may expand.

Kiwifruit has soft, digestible seeds that contain tremendous nutrients. They even enhance the taste. Because the fruit is larger than berries, the plentiful seeds naturally contain many hundreds of times the antioxidants of other berries. In fact, small studies in Taiwan and Norway showed the small fruit, when eaten twice daily, reduced bad cholesterol and increased good cholesterol. The Norwegian study showed kiwifruit reduces triglycerides. Even the skin contains nutrients, but I haven’t been able to eat that just yet.

I ate it because I loved the taste, but now I’ll eat more because of the nutrition too.

That brings me to the recent FDA attacks on the large pomegranate company, Pom Wonderful. When I heard about the government coming down on the company, I went back and looked at the studies. Yep, the studies were legitimate and initially came from the National Academy of the Sciences, among others.

Everything I wrote about the benefits of pomegranate were correct. It seems that no company has the right to make such health claims about foods and put those claims on labels. The only people who can make such claims are FDA approved pharmaceuticals that can be advertised on television. You know, those drugs like Avandia, Fosamax and the others that are now coming under scrutiny because they apparently have caused harm to a number of patients.

So, drink that pomegranate juice and eat kiwi fruit. They are both exceptionally excellent sources of nutrition that offer tremendous health benefits that companies can’t advertise.

Dee Woods is available to give presentations about alternative health treatments and healthy living. She can be reached at deewoods@comcast.net.

Source

Free the Free Radicals | Green Tea and Pomegranate

Phys Ed: Free the Free Radicals

2010-10-06T16:43:00.000+08:00

We’re all used to hearing that everything we once thought was good for us is not. But even within that framework, the latest science about antioxidants, free radicals and exercise is telling. As many of us have heard, free radicals are molecules created by the breakdown of oxygen during metabolism. Each of us constantly creates free radicals simply by living and breathing. But these molecules are highly reactive and capricious, sometimes attacking other cells and damaging tissue. Wilding free radicals have been linked with a number of diseases and with aging. Exercise, because it requires increased oxygen consumption, also increases the production of free radicals. So, many experts began urging the fitness-minded to pop large doses of antioxidant vitamin supplements, like vitamins C and E, to counteract the presumed damaging effects of the free radicals. Food alone would not supply sufficient levels of the necessary antioxidants, it was thought. The exercising body needed help from vitamins.

But then a few years ago, researchers from the University of Valencia in Spain and the University of Wisconsin in Madison set out to study what would happen if you tried to prevent exercising muscles from creating free radicals. They had laboratory rats run on small treadmills until they were exhausted. Some of the rats had been injected with a powerful, pharmaceutical-grade antioxidant that works in the body to halt the production of most free radicals. After the rats ran, the researchers measured the levels of a number of substances in their leg muscles. Not surprisingly, the injected rats showed almost no free-radical activity. They were virtually immune to what scientists had considered a kind of bodily damage.

The leg muscles of the other exercised rats, though, teemed with free radicals. But at the same time, they buzzed with other, unexpected biochemical reactions. In their legs, genes were being expressed that activated growth factors that, in turn, increased levels of ‘‘important enzymes associated with cell defense’’ and ‘‘adaptation to exercise,’’ the researchers wrote. There was hardly any similar activity in the rats with low free-radical levels. Somehow, the researchers speculated, the free radicals had jump-started a process that over time would allow the rats’ muscles to adapt to exercise. Suppressing the production of free radicals had, they concluded, prevented the ‘‘activation of important signaling pathways’’ and altered the muscles’ ability to adapt to exercise. As a result, they wrote, ‘‘the practice of taking antioxidants’’ to ward off the presumed free-radical damage caused by exercise ‘‘may have to be re-evaluated.’’

They published their findings in 2005, and since then a number of other studies have replicated and expanded on their results, to thought-provoking effect. One of the most reverberant experiments, published last year, enrolled a group of young men in a monthlong exercise program. Some swallowed moderately high doses of the antioxidant vitamins C and E. Others did not. At the end of the month, the men not taking the vitamins showed higher-than-average activity in their bodies’ innate antioxidant defense system. The men downing the vitamins did not, which makes sense; the antioxidant vitamins were mopping up the free radicals for them. But at the same time, the men not taking vitamins significantly increased their insulin sensitivity, a key measure of the health benefits of exercise, while those taking the antioxidants did not. Apparently, when the body’s natural antioxidant defense system went into high gear, so did its ability to handle insulin. Removing the necessity for the body to deal, on its own, with the free radicals also prevented other adaptations that make exercise healthy.

What these findings mean for those of us who work out regularly is still being determined by scientists. But one message is clear. ‘‘The evidence suggests that antioxidants are not needed’’ by most athletes, even those training strenuously, said Li Li Ji, a professor of exercise physiology and nutritional science at the University of Wisconsin and one of the authors of the rat study. ‘‘The body adapts,’’ he said, a process that can, it seems, be altered by antioxidant supplements.

Another lesson: ‘‘Eat well,’’ he said. Although this is not yet proved, it seems likely, he continued, that antioxidants from foods, like blueberries, green tea and carrots, may work in tandem with the body’s natural antioxidant defenses better than those from supplements.

But the overriding lesson of the newest science about exercise and antioxidants may be as simple as: let the body be. ‘‘It is quite a smart machine,’’ Mr. Ji said. ‘‘It knows how to respond’’ to stresses like a hard run, without the need for antioxidant pills.

Source

Antioxidants rich vegetables

Antioxidant Rich Vegetables May Help Joint Health

2010-10-05T06:51:00.000+08:00

Recent research from the University of Angola in the United Kingdom has revealed that vegetables rich with antioxidants, such as broccoli, may actually help prevent the stiffness and aches that sometimes forms in joints from age, according to TopNews.com.

This is because many green vegetables with antioxidants appear to contain sulforaphane, a compound that has been found to inhibit the growth of a harmful enzyme which accumulates with age.

The leader of the research, Ian Clark, hypothesized that a diet without these foods may be responsible for a lack of mobility in the elderly and that many adults may be able to avert these problems in later years by eating properly, the news source reports.

It would seem that having a healthy balance of vegetables could also have significant benefits by reducing the costs of joint-related medical expenses, from medications to major surgeries.

WebMD.com states that some foods which are rich in antioxidants aren't consumed enough by the general public. These include beans, artichoke hearts, sweet potatoes, spinach and eggplant.

The benefits of antioxidants don't stop at joint health, as research has also found that these molecules also combat the formation of free radicals, which can cause cancer.

Source

Deadly Vitamins