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Minerals

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Unfortunately for us as Americans, not only do we generally not like to eat foods that are mineral rich, but also farming practices in the U.S. have reduced dramatically the vitamin and mineral content of common foods. A second issue that often comes up with minerals is the wrong attribution of benefits.  The costs of this undernutrition are huge.

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The importance of minerals in the diet was brought home to me years ago in the form of an animal study on the effects on serum cholesterol of dietary magnesium in diets that included either butter or polyunsaturated fat in the form of corn oil margarine. Pigs were chosen because their gastrointestinal tracts are very similar to those of humans and they respond to dietary factors similarly, as well. The surprising finding was that the level of dietary magnesium was more significant to plasma total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels than was butter or margarine. When the intake of magnesium was increased substantially (doubled) beyond what was assumed to be an adequate amount for pigs, there no longer was any difference in serum levels of blood lipids between animals ingesting the two different fats. ¹ The meaning of the study was clear. Mammals possess enzymes known as desaturases and these mineral-dependent enzymes are sufficient to control serum lipids within "normal" ranges. Helping the body to handle fats is merely one of the vast number of roles played by dietary minerals and trace minerals.

Reduced Dietary Intake of Minerals

Unfortunately for us as Americans, not only do we generally not like to eat foods that are mineral rich, but also farming practices in the U.S. have reduced dramatically the vitamin and mineral content of common foods. For instance, according to the Nutrition Security Institute, an apple with its skin in 1914 might have supplied 28.9 mg magnesium whereas the same apple in 1992 supplied only 5 mg magnesium, a decline of almost 83 percent with declines continuing to the present day. Numerous researchers who have attempted to trace back the quality of our food versus earlier times have come up with similar findings. Nutrient declines on the order of 80 percent probably are not true across the board, but declines in the 20 to 40 percent range for many nutrients, especially minerals, may well be accurate. The costs of this undernutrition are huge. For instance, just this year Harvard researchers performing a metaanalysis of past magnesium studies found that Americans' insufficient ingestion of magnesium (only 20 to 30 percent of us consume adequate magnesium) may account for 22 percent of risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD). Researchers also found that every 0.2 mmol/L increment increase in circulating magnesium was associated with a 30 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease. ² There are vocal statin critics who point out that these benefits are far better than can be expected with statin use. ³

A second issue that often comes up with minerals is the wrong attribution of benefits. Calcium versus magnesium is a good place to start. A number of epidemiological studies have suggested that calcium may protect against colorectal cancer. However, high calcium levels inhibit the absorption of magnesium. Moreover, according to Qi Dai, MD, PhD, and co-workers at Vanderbilt University, Americans have high calcium intake, but also a high incidence of colorectal cancer. "If calcium levels were involved alone, you'd expect the opposite direction. There may be something about these two factors combined-the ratio of one to the other-that might be at play," said Dai. In his studies in those who had had this cancer, in individuals whose baseline calcium-to-magnesium ratio was low, there was a 32 percent reduced risk of recurrence compared with those whose baseline was high. ⁴ In other words, we Americans may be consuming too much calcium and, in the process, reducing the bioavailability of magnesium from diet and supplements.

What About Trace Minerals?

Calcium, magnesium and phosphorus are considered to be the macro-minerals. The trace minerals include iron, zinc, iodine, copper, selenium, manganese, fluoride, chromium and molybdenum. Silicon currently has an indeterminate status, with some important researchers arguing that this element is essential. Chloride, sodium and potassium are classified as electrolytes. Although we tend to think of minerals in conjunction with the body's structural components, chiefly the bones, in fact, minerals are key to catalyzing hundreds of biochemical reactions involving proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Several key antioxidant enzymes produced by the body require the presence of trace minerals, such as copper, zinc and manganese. ⁵ A very large number of other minerals and trace elements, such as boron and vanadium, exist that may be said to influence human physiology. Note that many companies use trace "element" and trace "mineral" interchangeably. However, an element is member of the small number of different atoms that make up all matter; a mineral is a homogeneous inorganic substance, not necessarily a pure element, with a particular crystalline structure.

Common Uses and Dosages of Trace Minerals

Trace minerals often are essential for the body's efficient use of the macrominerals. Therefore, boron and silicon are added to supplements for bone health because boron and silicon assist in the utilization of calcium. 6,7 Silicon is similarly important for the production of cartilage, hence for the health of the joints. 8,9 Zinc, copper and manganese are involved in the body's production of the antioxidant superoxide dismutase (SOD) and selenium is important for the production of the antioxidant glutathione. Chromium and vanadium have been shown to aid in the regulation of blood sugar levels. In the case of chromium, binding the mineral to organic ligands such as niacin or citrate much improves this effect. More generally, trace elements are said to be important for bone and joint health, to control of electrolyte and fluid balances, support the health of the skin and hair, aid in the assimilation of calcium, protect cardiovascular and general circulatory health, and improve immune functioning. Dosages depend on each particular trace element and generally range from the micrograms to no more than 30 milligrams.

Some trace mineral sources are very high in sodium, an element that few Americans need more of in their diets. Similarly, many "natural" trace mineral sources, especially colloidal minerals and mined sediments, "naturally" have undesirable levels of aluminum, arsenic, barium, cadmium, lead and thallium. Therefore, it is necessary to look for an indication of heavy and toxic mineral content in trace mineral products.

Information continues to accumulate on the relation between the intake of trace elements and cancer. For instance, a Japanese study suggests that a slightly higher intake of zinc and selenium protects against gastric cancer. ¹⁰

Absorption Issues
Some trace mineral sources, such as concentrates from the Great Salt Lake, improve digestion. However, mineral clays and other mined sources depend heavily on the body's own production of hydrochloric acid for assimilation. Similarly, plant and "gel" sources of silicon are controversial in terms of the quality of assimilation. Trace minerals are usually best taken with meals for this reason.

Another point of contention is "colloidal" versus other mineral forms. By definition, colloidal minerals are actually suspended in their liquid carriers (it makes no sense to speak of "dry" colloidals). Expert opinion is that the assimilation of minerals requires that these either be in ionic form or attached to a carrier which itself readily crosses the gut lumen into the blood stream.

Consumers should keep in mind that more is not always better with trace elements. Too much selenium, for example, reduces the antioxidant activity of glutathione. ¹¹ Similarly, too much fluorine increases cancer risks. ¹² Finally, be aware of the fact that there are important ratios between minerals, such as between the intake of zinc and copper that need to be maintained. For instance, too much copper suppresses zinc levels and vice versa.

Endnotes:
1. Kummerow FA, Wasowicz E, Smith T, Yoss NL, Thiel J. "Plasma lipid physical properties in swine fed margarine or butter in relation to dietary magnesium intake." J Am Coll Nutr. 1993 Apr;12(2):125-32.

2. Del Gobbo LC, Imamura F, Wu JH, de Oliveira Otto MC, Chiuve SE, Mozaffarian D. "Circulating and dietary magnesium and risk of cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and metaanalysis of prospective studies." Am J Clin Nutr. 2013 May 29. [Epub ahead of print]

3. Seneff S. "How Statins Really Work Explains Why They Don't Really Work." March 11, 2011; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; http:// people.csail.mit.edu/seneff http://people.csail.mit.edu/seneff/why_statins_dont_really_work.html

4. Q Dai, J Bar. "Magnesium, calcium, and colorectal adenoma recurrence: Results from a randomized trial." Seventh Annual American Association for Cancer Research International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research Abstract A62. 2008.

5. National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences. "Recommended Dietary Allowances." 10th Edition. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 1989.

6. Schaafsma A, de Vries PJ, Saris WH. Delay of natural bone loss by higher intakes of specific minerals and vitamins. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2001 May;41(4):225-49.

7. Jugdaohsingh R, Tucker KL, Kiel DP, Qiao N, Powell JJ. "Silicon uptake is a major dietary determinant of bone mineral density (BMD) in men and pre-menopausal women of the Framingham Offspring Cohort." Bone 2003 May;32,:S192.

8. Reffitt DM, Ogston N, Jugdaohsingh R, Cheung HF, Evans BA, Thompson RP, Powell JJ, Hampson GN. "Orthosilicic acid stimulates collagen type 1 synthesis and osteoblastic differentiation in human osteoblast-like cells in vitro." Bone. 2003 Feb;32(2):127-35.

9. Schwarz K. "A bound form of silicon in glycosaminoglycans and polyuronides." Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1973 May;70(5):1608-12.

10. Nakaji S, Fukuda S, et al. "Relationship between mineral and trace element concentrations in drinking water and gastric cancer mortality in Japan." Nutr Cancer. 2001;40(2):99-102.

11. Gan L, Liu Q, Xu HB, Zhu YS, Yang XL. "Effects of selenium overexposure on glutathione peroxidase and thioredoxin reductase gene expressions and activities." Biol Trace Elem Res. 2002 Nov;89(2):165-75.

12. Tohyama E. "Relationship between fluoride concentration in drinking water and mortality rate from uterine cancer in Okinawa prefecture, Japan." J Epidemiol. 1996 Dec;6(4):184-91. Erratum in: J Epidemiol 1997 Sep;7(3):184.

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importance of trace minerals in our diets

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Minerals and Trace Minerals Missing in the American Diet

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The importance of minerals in the diet was brought home to me years ago in the form of an animal study on the effects on serum cholesterol of dietary magnesium in diets that included either butter or polyunsaturated fat in the form of corn oil margarine.

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minerals

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minerals

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Did you ever notice how TV commercials for breakfast cereal always mention vitamins and minerals? But when you think of minerals, food isn't the first thing that comes to mind. Aren't minerals something you find in the earth, like iron and quartz?

Well, yes, but small amounts of some minerals are also in foods - for instance, red meat, such as beef, is a good source of iron.

Just like vitamins, minerals help your body grow, develop, and stay healthy. The body uses minerals to perform many different functions - from building strong bones to transmitting nerve impulses. Some minerals are even used to make hormones or maintain a normal heartbeat.

Macro and Trace

The two kinds of minerals are: macrominerals and trace minerals. Macro means "large" in Greek (and your body needs larger amounts of macrominerals than trace minerals). The macromineral group is made up of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride, and sulfur.

A trace of something means that there is only a little of it. So even though your body needs trace minerals, it needs just a tiny bit of each one. Trace minerals includes iron, manganese, copper, iodine, zinc, cobalt, fluoride, and selenium.

Let's take a closer look at some of the minerals you get from food.

Calcium

Calcium is the top macromineral when it comes to your bones. This mineral helps build strong bones, so you can do everything from standing up straight to scoring that winning goal. It also helps build strong, healthy teeth, for chomping on tasty food.

Which foods are rich in calcium?

dairy products, such as milk, cheese, and yogurt

canned salmon and sardines with bones

leafy green vegetables, such as broccoli

calcium-fortified foods - from orange juice to cereals and crackers

Iron

The body needs iron to transport oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. Your entire body needs oxygen to stay healthy and alive. Iron helps because it's important in the formation of hemoglobin (say: HEE-muh-glo-bun), which is the part of your red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body.

Which foods are rich in iron?

meat, especially red meat, such as beef

tuna and salmon

eggs

beans

baked potato with skins

dried fruits, like raisins

leafy green vegetables, such as broccoli

whole and enriched grains, like wheat or oats

Potassium

Potassium (say: puh-TAH-see-um) keeps your muscles and nervous system working properly.

Which foods are rich in potassium?

bananas

tomatoes

potatoes and sweet potatoes, with skins

green vegetables, such as spinach and broccoli

citrus fruits, like oranges

low-fat milk and yogurt

legumes, such as beans, split peas, and lentils

Zinc

Zinc helps your immune system, which is your body's system for fighting off illnesses and infections. It also helps with cell growth and helps heal wounds, such as cuts.

Which foods are rich in zinc?

beef, pork, and dark meat chicken

nuts, such as cashews, almonds, and peanuts

legumes, such as beans, split peas, and lentils

When people don't get enough of these important minerals, they can have health problems. For instance, too little calcium - especially when you're a kid - can lead to weaker bones. Some kids may take mineral supplements, but most kids don't need them if they eat a nutritious diet. So eat those minerals and stay healthy!

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Did you ever notice how TV commercials for breakfast cereal always mention vitamins and minerals? But when you think of minerals, food isn't the first thing that comes to mind. Aren't minerals something you find in the earth, like iron and quartz?

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Minerals

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Minerals

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Clean water is essential for life, but most people in the world don't think much about the water they use for drinking, food preparation, and sanitation. In developing nations, however, the search for safe drinking water can be a daily crisis. Millions of people die each year, most of them children, from largely preventable diseases caused by a lack of access to clean water and proper sanitation.

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Brian HandwerkFor National Geographic News

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Sustainable Earth: Water - National Geographic

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Safeguarding one of the world’s most important resources.

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There's not much in this world more refreshing than a tall, ice-cold glass of water. I don't think there's anyone alive that can deny that sometimes, a simple glass of water can be more satisfying than a cup of coffee or a can of soda. Despite this, too many of us don't drink enough water on a daily basis. By depriving ourselves of the world's most natural resource, we are continuously damaging our bodies. If you experience any of the following, you can improve your situation by starting with a glass of H2O.

1. Your Mouth is Dry

2. Your Skin is Dry

3. You're Overly Thirsty

4. Your Eyes Are Dry

5. You Experience Joint Pain

6. Your Muscle Mass Decreases

7. You Stay Sick Longer

8. You Feel Fatigued and Lethargic

9. You Experience Hunger Pangs

10. You Experience Digestive Problems

11. You Experience Constipation

12. You Experience Reduced Urination

13. You Experience Premature Aging

14. You're Reading This And Have Gotten This Far

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14 Signs You're Not Drinking Enough Water

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There's not much in this world more refreshing than a tall, ice-cold glass of water. I don't think there's anyone alive that can deny that sometimes, a simple glass of water can be more satisfying than a cup of coffee or a can of soda.

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Water

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Water

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Water

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Water

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One in two adults takes a daily vitamin pill, and Americans spend tens of billions of dollars each year on supplements. Now, a small coterie of physicians writing in a leading medical journal has offered this blunt advice: "Stop wasting money."

In an unusually direct opinion piece, the five authors say that for healthy Americans worried about chronic disease, there's no clear benefit to taking vitamin and mineral pills. And in some instances, they may even cause harm.

The authors make an exception for supplemental vitamin D, which they say needs further research. Even so, widespread use of vitamin D pills "is not based on solid evidence that benefits outweigh harms," the authors wrote. For other vitamins and supplements, "the case is closed."

"The message is simple," the editorial continued. "Most supplements do not prevent chronic disease or death, their use is not justified, and they should be avoided."

"We have so much information from so many studies," Dr. Cynthia Mulrow, senior deputy editor of Annals of Internal Medicine and an author of the editorial, said in an interview. "We don't need a lot more evidence to put this to bed."

Officials with the Natural Products Association, a trade organization that represents supplement suppliers and retailers, said they were shocked by what they termed "an attack" on their industry, pointing to a study published last year that found a modest reduction in overall cancers in a long, randomized, controlled trial of 15,000 male doctors.

"Our members market and sell their products in order to assist people to achieve a healthier lifestyle," said John Shaw, executive director of the association, adding that he could not understand why the industry was being criticized "for trying to promote health and wellness."

Demand for vitamin and mineral supplements has grown markedly in recent years, with domestic sales totaling some $30 billion in 2011. More than half of Americans used at least one dietary supplement from 2003-06, up from 42 percent from 1988-94, according to national health surveys conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The most popular products are multivitamin and mineral supplements, which are consumed by some 40 percent of men and women in the United States, according to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Whether regular long-term use can prevent heart disease and cancer has never been clearly established, and the authors of the editorial are not the first to point that out.

The Cochrane Collaboration, which publishes reviews of medical evidence, has also concluded that taking vitamins does not extend life. An updated review of the evidence by the United States Preventive Services Task Force, published online on Nov. 12, likewise concluded that there was limited evidence that vitamin and mineral supplementation could prevent cancer or cardiovascular disease.

The task force pointed out, however, that two clinical trials had found slight cancer reductions among men who took multivitamins. Yet other studies have found that beta-carotene supplements may actually increase the risk of lung cancer in smokers, the task force review noted, and that high doses of vitamins A and E cause harm and may increase the risk of death.

The editorial in the Annals is accompanied by two new studies reporting dismal results for multivitamins in helping preserve cognitive function and preventing heart attacks. In one study of nearly 6,000 male physicians 65 and older, participants who took a multivitamin for over a decade were no more likely to retain cognitive function as they aged than similar doctors who took a dummy pill.

But Dr. Francine Grodstein, one of the lead authors of that study, said that since physicians tend to have healthy diets and be well-nourished, the added nutrients may not have made a difference in their cases. "I do think there's room for more research," said Dr. Grodstein, who did not write or sign the editorial.

Demonstrating the prevention of chronic diseases can take decades and conducting long-term, randomized, controlled trials is both tricky and very costly. "We don't and probably never will have randomized trial data over decades," she said.

The results of another clinical trial published in the journal found that high-dose vitamins and minerals did not protect heart attack patients 50 and older from experiencing additional cardiovascular events, though the research was marred by a high dropout rate.

There have been few randomized clinical studies of the effects of multivitamins and minerals on heart disease, cancer and risk of death, said Dr. Stephen P. Fortmann, of the Kaiser Center of Health Research, who led the task force review. A draft of new task force recommendations, based on the updated review, said there was insufficient evidence to recommend taking or not taking vitamins.

But Dr. Fortmann, who also did not write or sign the editorial, suggested that those who buy vitamins may be "throwing their money away," adding: "Don't think it makes up for a bad diet, that you can eat a lot of fast food and then take a bunch of supplements. That's not a good idea."

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One in two adults takes a daily vitamin pill, and Americans spend tens of billions of dollars each year on supplements. Now, a small coterie of physicians writing in a leading medical journal has offered this blunt advice: "Stop wasting money."

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Vitamins and minerals are essential nutrients because they perform hundreds of roles in the body.There is a fine line between getting enough of these nutrients (which is healthy) and getting too much (which can end up harming you). Eating a healthy diet remains the best way to get sufficient amounts of the vitamins and minerals you need.

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Vitamins & Minerals: Are You Getting What You Need?

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It's important to get enough vitamin and minerals in your diet, but you can have too much of a good thing. Learn the facts.

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Protein is key to reducing cravings, building lean muscle, and managing weight. Animal-based sources pack all amino acids in, but most plant based sourcee only contain a fraction of the nine essential amino acids. Just because you get all of the proteins you need from animal sources doesn't mean that you can ignore vegetables.

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Two new studies conclude that low protein intake may hold the key to a long and healthy life, at least until old age. They also emphasize the need to examine not only calories when deciding what constitutes a healthy diet, but also where those calories come from - such as whether protein is animal or plant-based.
Another key finding is the suggestion that while a high-protein diet may in the short term help people lose weight and body fat, in the long term it may harm health and reduce lifespan.

Both studies are published in the journal Cell Metabolism.

The first study was led by Valter Longo, a professor at the University of Southern California, who counts longevity and cell biology among his areas of expertise.

He and his colleagues showed that high protein consumption is linked to increased risk of cancer, diabetes and death in middle-aged adults, although this was not the case for older adults who may benefit from moderate protein consumption. Also, the effect is much reduced when the protein comes from plant sources.

The second study was led by Stephen Simpson, a professor at the University of Sydney in Australia, whose group works at the interface of physiology, ecology, and behavior. From studying mice, he and his fellow authors concluded that diets low in protein and high in carbohydrates are linked to the longest lifespans.

Both studies suggest it is not just calories, but also diet composition - particularly in terms of amount and type of protein - that may determine the length and health of a lifespan.

Prof. Longo says:

"We studied simple organisms, mice and humans, and provide convincing evidence that a high- protein diet - particularly if the proteins are derived from animals - is nearly as bad as smoking for your health."

High-protein diet had highest risk, except in older adults

In their study, Prof. Longo and colleagues analyzed data on over 6,800 American adults who took part in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III, a US national survey that assesses health and diet.

They found that:

The researchers found that consuming a high-protein diet in middle age significantly increases the likelihood of dying from cancer or diabetes.

Participants aged 50 and over who said they ate a high-protein diet were four times more likely to die from cancer or diabetes, and twice as likely to die from any cause, in the following 18 years.

Those who consumed moderate amounts of protein had a three-fold higher chance of dying of cancer.

These effects either reduced or disappeared altogether among participants whose high-protein diet was mainly plant-based.

However, in those aged 65 and over, the effect was nearly the opposite - high protein intake was linked to a 60% reduced risk of dying from cancer and a 28% reduced risk of dying from any cause, with similar effects for moderate protein intake.

The researchers defined a high-protein diet as one where at least 20% of the calories consumed come from protein.

Growth hormone, amino acid damage, ability to process protein may be key factors

The team suggests, because of evidence from other studies, that growth hormone and the growth factor IGF-1 may be responsible for these effects, as Prof. Longo explains:
"Notably, the activity of these factors, but also body weight, declines naturally with aging, which may explain why older people not only did not benefit but appeared to do worse if they ate a low-protein diet."
Cell experiments have suggested the amino acids that proteins are made of can reduce cellular protection and increase damage to DNA, both of which might explain why high-protein intake is linked to cancer.

Also, experiments in mice have shown that the body's ability to process protein declines with age.

Researchers trialed 25 different diets in hundreds of mice

In the second study, Prof. Simpson and his group trialed the effects of 25 different diets on hundreds of mice to see how different amounts and types of proteins, fats and carbohydrates affected energy intake, metabolic health, aging and lifespan.

They discovered that:

Mice on diets high in protein and low in carbohydrates had reduced food intake and lower levels of body fat, but they also died earlier and had poorer cardiometabolic health.

Mice on low-protein, high-fat diets had the poorest health and shortest lifespans.

The healthiest, longest living mice were those on diets high in carbohydrates and low in protein - this was in spite of increased food intake and having higher levels of body fat.

A calorie-restricted diet did not increase lifespan - which is contrary to evidence from previous studies on mice, other animals, yeast and worms that show calorie restriction lengthens life as long as supplemented with essential nutrients.

Prof. Simpson says:

"We have shown explicitly why it is that calories aren't all the same - we need to look at where the calories come from and how they interact. This research has enormous implications for how much food we eat, our body fat, our heart and metabolic health, and ultimately the duration of our lives."

He and his colleagues suggest the ideal diet for a long and healthy life is one with moderate amounts of high-quality protein, low in fat, and high in complex carbohydrates.

Meanwhile, Medical News Today recently learned of a study by researchers at the University of Granada in Spain that found high-protein diets may increase risk of kidney disease.

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Too much protein in middle age 'as bad as smoking'

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Two new studies conclude that low protein intake may hold the key to a long and healthy life, at least until old age. They also emphasize the need to examine not only calories when deciding what constitutes a healthy diet, but also where those calories come from - such as whether protein is animal or plant-based.

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Incomplete Protein

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Complete Protein

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Alan Zale for The New York Times

Eating fatty food appears to take an almost immediate toll on both short-term memory and exercise performance, according to new research on rats and people.

Other studies have suggested that long-term consumption of a high-fat diet is associated with weight gain, heart disease and declines in cognitive function. But the new research shows how indulging in fatty foods over the course of a few days can affect the brain and body long before the extra pounds show up.

To determine the effect of a fatty diet on memory and muscle performance, researchers studied 32 rats that were fed low-fat rat chow and trained for two months to complete a challenging maze. The maze included eight different paths that ended with a treat of sweetened condensed milk. The goal was for the rat to find each treat without doubling back into a corridor where it had already been. The maze was wiped down with alcohol, so the rat had to rely on memory rather than sense of smell.

All of the rats studied had mastered the maze, finding at least six or seven of the eight treats before making a mistake. Some rats even found all eight on the first try.

Then half the rats were switched to high-fat rat chow (comprised of 55 percent fat), while the remaining rats stayed on their regular chow (which had 7.5 percent fat). After four days, the rats eating the fatty chow began to falter on the maze test - all of them did worse than when they were on their regular chow. On average, the rats on the fatty diet found only five treats before making a mistake. The rats who stayed with their regular food continued the same high level of performance on the maze, finding six or more treats before making a mistake.

Half of the rats had also been trained to run on a treadmill. After only a few days on the high-fat diet, the rats performed 30 percent worse on the treadmill. After five days of testing, the treadmill performance of the rats eating fatty foods had declined by half. The study results appear in The Faseb Journal, which is the journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.

"We expected to see changes, but maybe not so dramatic and not in such a short space of time,'' said Andrew Murray, the study's lead author and a lecturer in physiology at Cambridge University in Britain. "It was really striking how quickly these effects happened.''

Although the human data aren't yet published, the researchers have also performed similar studies of high-fat diets in healthy young men who then performed exercise and cognitive tests. Dr. Murray said he is still reviewing the data, but the short-term effect of a fatty diet on humans appears to be similar to that found in the rat studies.

It's not clear why fatty foods would cause a short-term decline in cognitive function. One theory is that a high-fat diet can trigger insulin resistance, which means the body becomes less efficient at using the glucose, or blood sugar, so important to brain function.

Fatty foods appear to have a short-term effect on exercise performance because the body reacts to high fat content in the blood by releasing certain proteins that essentially make the metabolism less efficient. "It's thought to be a protective mechanism to get rid of excess fat,'' Dr. Murray said. "But it was making muscles less efficient at using oxygen and fuel to make the energy needed to run.''

The findings are particularly relevant to people who may not worry about binging on fatty foods because they exercise regularly.

"Exercise is a good way of burning it off, because you're burning the calories off,'' Dr. Murray said. "But in terms of actually trying to put in a good time if you're running, it will limit your performance.''

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Alan Zale for The New York Times Eating fatty food appears to take an almost immediate toll on both short-term memory and exercise performance, according to new research on rats and people. Other studies have suggested that long-term consumption of a high-fat diet is associated with weight gain, heart disease and declines in cognitive function.

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Choosing Healthy Fats: The Good, the Bad, and the Power of Omega-3s

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Everything you need to know about dietary fat, including how to include more healthy fats in your diet.

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High glycemic foods influence the brain too eat and crave more than it should.Avoiding refined carbohydrates might reduce urges and potentially help control weight. Eat less refined carbohydrates and more whole foods

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Are all calories created equal? A new study suggests that in at least one important way, they may not be.

Sugary foods and drinks, white bread and other processed carbohydrates that are known to cause abrupt spikes and falls in blood sugar appear to stimulate parts of the brain involved in hunger, craving and reward, the new research shows. The findings, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, suggest that these so-called high-glycemic foods influence the brain in a way that might drive some people to overeat.

For those who are particularly susceptible to these effects, avoiding refined carbohydrates might reduce urges and potentially help control weight, said Dr. David Ludwig, the lead author of the study and the director of the New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center at Boston Children's Hospital.

"This research suggests that based on their effects on brain metabolism, all calories are not alike," he said. "Not everybody who eats processed carbohydrates develops uncontrollable food cravings. But for the person who has been struggling with weight in our modern food environment and unable to control their cravings, limiting refined carbohydrate may be a logical first step."

Regardless of the diet they choose, most people who lose a great deal of weight have a difficult time keeping it off for good. For many people, despite their best efforts, the weight returns within six months to a year. But a few studies of weight loss maintenance, including a large one in The New England Journal of Medicine in 2010, have reported some success with diets that limit high-glycemic foods like bagels, white rice, juice and soda.

In addition to raising blood sugar, foods that are sugary and highly caloric elicit pronounced responses in distinct areas of the brain involved in reward. Earlier imaging studies have shown, for example, that the main reward and pleasure center, the nucleus accumbens, lights up more intensely for a slice of chocolate cake than for blander foods like vegetables, and the activation tends to be greater in the brains of obese people than it is in those who are lean.

But do rich desserts have a select ability to change our longer-term eating habits?

To get a better idea, Dr. Ludwig and his colleagues recruited a dozen obese men and then fed them milkshakes on two different occasions separated by several weeks. In each case, the milkshakes were nearly identical: flavored with milk and vanilla, and containing the same amount of calories, carbohydrates, protein and fat.

But on one occasion, the shakes were made with high-glycemic corn syrup; on the other, a source of low-glycemic carbohydrates was used. "These test meals were identical in appearance and tastiness, and we verified that our subjects had no preference for one or the other," Dr. Ludwig said.

As expected, blood sugar levels rose more quickly in response to the high-glycemic milkshake. But the researchers were especially interested in what happened several hours later, about the time most people are ready for their next meal.

What they found was that four hours after drinking the high-glycemic shake, blood sugar levels had plummeted into the hypoglycemic range, the subjects reported more hunger, and brain scans showed greater activation in parts of the brain that regulate cravings, reward and addictive behaviors. Although the subject pool was small, every subject showed the same response, and the differences in blood flow to these regions of the brain between the two conditions "was quite substantial," Dr. Ludwig said.

"Based on the strength and consistency of the response," he added, "the likelihood that this was due to chance was less than one in a thousand."

Previous research suggests that when blood sugar levels plummet, people have a tendency to seek out foods that can restore it quickly, and this may set up a cycle of overeating driven by high-glycemic foods, Dr. Ludwig said. "It makes sense that the brain would direct us to foods that would rescue blood sugar," he said. "That's a normal protective mechanism."

Christopher Gardner, a nutrition scientist at Stanford University who was not involved in the new study, said that after decades of research but little success in fighting obesity, "it has been disappointing that the message being communicated to the American public has been boiled down to 'eat less and exercise more.'"

"An underlying assumption of the 'eat less' portion of that message has been 'a calorie is a calorie,'" he said. But the new research "sheds light on the strong plausibility that it isn't just the amount of food we are eating, but also the type."

Dr. Gardner said it was clear that the conventional approach of the past few decades was not working. A more helpful message than "eat less," he said, may be "eat less refined carbohydrates and more whole foods."

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Are all calories created equal? A new study suggests that in at least one important way, they may not be. Sugary foods and drinks, white bread and other processed carbohydrates that are known to cause abrupt spikes and falls in blood sugar appear to stimulate parts of the brain involved in hunger, craving and reward, the new research shows.

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Jan 21, 2016 ... Check out this photo of a potato. It may look like a rather ordinary photo, but it's one of the most expensive photos in the world: it sold last year for a staggering $1,000,000+. The photo, titled " Potato #345 (2010)," is by photographer Kevin Abosch, who charges huge fees to shoot portraits of famous business ...

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(Health.com) -- Starting each day with a bowl of cereal -- especially a whole-grain variety -- could trim up to 20% off your risk of developing high blood pressure, according to preliminary research presented Tuesday at an American Heart Association meeting in Atlanta.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, can be caused or worsened by a range of factors, including obesity, lack of exercise, too much sodium, and stress. Although cereal alone won't keep blood pressure in check, eating it regularly may be an easy and practical way to prevent hypertension, the researchers say.

"Cereal is something that people can easily get into their diet and that they enjoy," says lead researcher Jinesh Kochar, M.D., a geriatric specialist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, in Boston. "And it costs a lot less than the drugs you'd have to take if you had hypertension."
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Cereals made from whole grains appear to protect against hypertension slightly more than those made from refined grains (which have had their fiber- and nutrient-rich parts removed), the study found.

Julie Miller Jones, Ph.D., a professor of nutrition at the College of St. Catherine, in Minneapolis, says that cereal may be a better source of whole grain than bread and other foods because of how it tends to be served. "Usually with cereal you don't add a source of saturated fat, while you might add something like sausage to bread," says Jones, who points out that the study did not control for saturated-fat intake. Jones was not involved in the new research.

In addition, the nuts, raisins, or fruit often added to cereal contain fiber and potassium, both of which can help lower blood pressure. Milk's effects on blood pressure can't be discounted either, Jones says. "It may be more about the way you put the breakfast together than anything magical about breakfast cereal."
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Kochar and his colleagues analyzed data on more than 13,000 men who were part of the long-running Physicians' Health Study, which is funded by the National Institutes of Health. All the participants had normal blood pressure and averaged 52 years old at the start of the study. Over the next 17 years, more than half developed hypertension.

Compared with men who never ate cereal, those who averaged one serving per week had a 7% lower risk of hypertension. Those who consumed cereal more frequently had even greater reductions in risk: Two to six weekly servings were associated with an 11% lower risk, and one or more servings per day were associated with a 19% lower risk. (To pinpoint the effect of the cereal, the researchers took several other risk factors for hypertension into account, including age, smoking history, fruit and vegetable consumption, and physical activity.)

Although the food questionnaires used in the study did not ask about specific brands of cereals, popular brand-name cereals made from refined grains include varieties of Corn Flakes, Special K, and Rice Krispies, while examples of whole-grain cereals include Cheerios, shredded wheat, and bran.
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More research will be needed to determine whether cereal is associated with a lower risk of hypertension in women, too, Kochar says. Although previous studies have shown that women derive heart benefits from whole grain, the findings can't be immediately generalized beyond men.

Roughly 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. has hypertension, which is a major risk factor for heart attacks, strokes, and kidney problems. The AHA estimates that hypertension costs the country an estimated $90 billion in health-care and other costs each year.

Kochar presented his findings at the AHA's annual conference on nutrition, physical activity, and metabolism. Unlike the studies published in medical journals, the research presented at the meeting has not been thoroughly vetted by other experts.

Copyright Health Magazine 2011

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Starting each day with a bowl of cereal -- especially a whole-grain variety -- could trim up to 20% off your risk of developing high blood pressure, according to preliminary research presented Tuesday at an American Heart Association meeting in Atlanta.

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