FutureVigil (r) » nutrition

BRAN LINKED TO LOWER TYPE 2 DIABETES RISK IN WOMEN

Jeffrey Newman — Mon, 17 May 2010 17:36:48 +0000

A new Harvard study conducted on women has revealed that a diet rich in whole grains, particularly bran, may be a way to cut the risk of developing cardiovascular disease or dying prematurely. Researchers from Harvard and The Brigham & Women’s Hospital followed more than 7,822 women who had type 2 diabetes. Based on earlier findings that whole grain, cereal fiber and bran might reduce inflammation and protect the lining of blood vessels, the researchers divided subjects into groups based on how much of those foods they ate. After 36 years, adjusting for factors such as smoking, exercise and weight, the study found that women in the top bran-consuming group had a 35% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease and 28% lower risk of death from other causes compared to the women who ate the least bran.

Healthy Care vs. Healthcare

Jeffrey Newman — Fri, 14 May 2010 01:09:49 +0000

It seems to me that there should be some real interest on the part of our government and private sector in creatingo a “healthy care” industry focused on disease prevention and overall wellbeing. This would include nutrition and diet, exercise, lifestyle enhancemnet and mental health sustenance (sans drugs) including intellectual and emotional stimulation. We can’ t rely on healthcare providers to lead the way here, as doctors are trained to treat illnesses, mostly chronic illness and not to promote health and wellness. Through no fault of there own, they are wired to treat problems with drugs, surgery or other traditional therapeutics after the illness or disease has struck. So where is the engine for for the healthycare industry? There really isn’t one yet. There is a growing number of gyms and workout centers,a booming interest in nutraceuticals and vitamins but no company has approached the whole picture with an integrated approach to lifestyle, mental well being, nutritional medicine and exercise training. In addition, programs could be tailored towards age levels and interests. So why isn’t the government providing incentives for this since it would be a logical choice to save on rising healthcare costs, a lot of which goes into chronic care for cardiovascular disease and diabetes? Why hasn’t Nestles or Coke joined forces with Nike and Stoneyfield Farms, Kashi, Hollywood fitness and Bikram hot yoga? It’s got to happen if you believe in the power of the free market system. I don’t think the doctors need to worry about being put out of business for a long time. Maybe we need to create some scientific peer reviewed studies to show that a combination of medical nutrition, intense daily exercise, variety and lifelong learning will help to cure some of our major diseases and the economic burdens which they place on society. Of course we will need to fight the power of the food industry but that can be done. Look at what happened to big tobacco.

Lack of Omega 6 Linked to Severe Dermatitis

Jeffrey Newman — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 00:32:33 +0000

Omega 6, arachidonic acid, an essential amino acid, appears to be critical to the health of skin and probably many other tissues in the body, according to scientific studies. Our bodies make arachidonic acid from linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid that we must obtain through our diets. It is found mainly in vegetable oils.

Scientists have long attributed healthy skin function to linoleic acid, which is important because it provides the lipids that coat the outer layer of the skin, keeping the body from losing water and energy, which would retard growth, the scientist said.

But skin function seems to be more complicated than that. These itchy mice had plenty of linoleic acid. They just couldn’t convert it to arachidonic acid because the gene to make the necessary enzyme had been knocked out, he noted.

Arachidonic acid is also essential to the production of prostaglandins, compounds that can lead to inflammatory reactions and are important to immune function. Common painkillers like aspirin and ibuprofen work by inhibiting the conversion of arachidonic acid to prostaglandins.

The study was published in a recent issue of the Journal of Lipid Research. Co-authors are Chad K. Stroud, Takayuki Y. Nara, Manuel Roqueta-Rivera, Emily C. Radlowski, Byung H. Cho, Mariangela Segre, Rex A. Hess, and Wanda M. Haschek, all of the U of I, and Peter Lawrence, Ying Zhang, and J. Thomas Brenna of Cornell University. Funding was provided in part by a USDA National Needs Fellowship Award and a grant from the National Institutes of Health.