Sunday, December 22, 2013
Friday, December 20, 2013
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Re: Trans Fat
'In 1957, a fledgling nutrition scientist at the University of Illinois persuaded a hospital to give him samples of arteries from patients who had died of heart attacks….
It would be more than three decades before those findings were widely accepted — and five decades before the Food and Drug Administration decided that trans fats should be eliminated from the food supply, as it proposed in a rule issued last month.
In the past two years, he has published four papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals, two of them devoted to another major culprit he has singled out as responsible for atherosclerosis, or the hardening of the arteries: an excess of polyunsaturated vegetable oils like soybean, corn and sunflower — exactly the types of fats Americans have been urged to consume for the past several decades.
The problem, he says, is not LDL, the "bad cholesterol" widely considered to be the major cause of heart disease. What matters is whether the cholesterol and fat residing in those LDL particles have been oxidized. (Technically, LDL is not cholesterol, but particles containing cholesterol, along with fatty acids and protein.)
"Cholesterol has nothing to do with heart disease, except if it's oxidized," Dr. Kummerow said. Oxidation is a chemical process that happens widely in the body, contributing to aging and the development of degenerative and chronic diseases. Dr. Kummerow contends that the high temperatures used in commercial frying cause inherently unstable polyunsaturated oils to oxidize, and that these oxidized fatty acids become a destructive part of LDL particles. Even when not oxidized by frying, soybean and corn oils can oxidize inside the body.
If true, the hypothesis might explain why studies have found that half of all heart disease patients have normal or low levels of LDL.
"You can have fine levels of LDL and still be in trouble if a lot of that LDL is oxidized," Dr. Kummerow said.
This leads him to a controversial conclusion: that the saturated fat in butter, cheese and meats does not contribute to the clogging of arteries — and in fact is beneficial in moderate amounts in the context of a healthy diet (lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other fresh, unprocessed foods).
Dr. Robert H. Eckel, an endocrinologist and former president of the American Heart Association, agreed that oxidized LDL was far worse than nonoxidized LDL in terms of creating plaque.
But he disputed Dr. Kummerow's contention that saturated fats are benign and that polyunsaturated vegetable oils promote heart disease. "There are studies that clearly show a substitution of saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats leads to a reduction in cardiovascular disease," said Dr. Eckel, a professor at the University of Colorado…
His early research on trans fats was "resoundingly criticized and dismissed," said Dr. Walter Willett, the chairman of the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health, who credited Dr. Kummerow with prompting his desire to include trans fats in the Nurses' Health Study. A 1993 finding from that study, which showed a direct link between the consumption of foods containing trans fats and heart disease in women, was a turning point in scientific and medical thinking about trans fats.
"He had great difficulty getting funding because the heart disease prevention world strongly resisted the idea that trans fats were the problem," Dr. Willett continued. "In their view, saturated fats were the big culprit in heart disease. Anything else was a distraction from that."'
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/17/health/a-lifelong-fight-against-trans-fat.html?_r=0
apple-day-keeps-doctor-away-and-statins-do-too
http://wyomingpublicmedia.org/post/apple-day-keeps-doctor-away-and-statins-do-too
Friday, December 6, 2013
The price of healthy eating: $1.50 extra a day
http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2013/12/06/price-of-healthy-food/
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Fwd: FDA
'The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday ruled for the first time that trans-fats aren't generally considered safe in food, a sharp policy shift that could lead to banning trans-fats in baked goods and other foods.
Trans-fats, or partially hydrogenized fats or oils, are considered a potential prime factor in leading to heart attacks and strokes, and the FDA specifically said it was taking this step to protect the public health.
"While consumption of potentially harmful artificial trans-fat has declined over the last two decades in the United States, current intake remains a significant public-health concern," said FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg. "The FDA's action today is an important step toward protecting more Americans from the potential dangers of trans-fat. Further reduction in the amount of trans-fat in the American diet could prevent an additional 20,000 heart attacks and 7,000 deaths from heart disease each year—a critical step in the protection of Americans' health."'
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303309504579183652200663132
Bacon will be banned next by the FDA. Think of the 20,000 less heart attacks and 7,000 less deaths if the FDA banned Bacon.
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Friday, November 1, 2013
Fwd: FW: cookies and cream cookie recipe
From: Breitenbeker, Nathan
For those interested, enjoy!
Cookies & Cream Cookie Recipe
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 package Cookies n'Creme pudding mix
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
10 Oreos, chopped
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
350 degrees for 7-9 minutes (or until slightly brown on top)
http://www.tysonandjanessaparker.blogspot.com/2013/08/cookies-cream-cookies.html (this is where I found the recipe to give credit)
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Fwd: Oreo
'Connecticut College students and a professor of neuroscience have found "America's favorite cookie" is just as addictive as cocaine – at least for lab rats. And just like most humans, rats go for the middle first.
In a study designed to shed light on the potential addictiveness of high-fat/ high-sugar foods, Professor Joseph Schroeder and his students found rats formed an equally strong association between the pleasurable effects of eating Oreos and a specific environment as they did between cocaine or morphine and a specific environment. They also found that eating cookies activated more neurons in the brain's "pleasure center" than exposure to drugs of abuse. '
'A recent study was picked up a lot by the media, claiming that "Oreos are as addictive as drugs". Just to get that out of the way as soon as possible, this headline, as flashy and attractive it is, is flawed. I'll explain why in this post…
The question which naturally arises after that is: If you stop eating Oreos, do you experience Oreo withdrawal? This is basically the difference between things you really like and things you're addicted to – the difference between physiological addiction (addiction to a drug) and psychological addiction.'
http://www.zmescience.com/medicine/mind-and-brain/oreo-addictive-drugs-16102013/
Friday, September 6, 2013
Is sugar a toxin? Experts debate the role of fructose in our obesity epidemic
"Telling people the problem is all fructose is completely wrong," says Walter Willett, chair of the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health. "In the amounts being consumed, sugar can lead to serious damage and premature death. I think it's fair to say that's toxic," he says. "But it doesn't mean everything else is good."
Read Lustig's book carefully, and it's clear that his position isn't as radical as his sound bite implies: He believes that moderate consumption of fructose is safe. The "likely" safe threshold, he says, is 50 grams per day — which translates to 100 grams, or a quarter-cup, of sugar that's half fructose. Average daily American consumption of added sweeteners, according to the USDA, is 95 grams — just under Lustig's threshold.
The American Heart Association recommends not exceeding 150 calories of added sugar per day for men, and 100 calories of added sugar for women. That's 37.5 grams for men and 25 grams for women.
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Friday, August 16, 2013
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/08/15/coffee-consumption-death-risk/2655855/
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/08/15/coffee-consumption-death-risk/2655855/
… It is not clear to me that they are showing causality.
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Monday, June 10, 2013
Don’t Take Your Vitamins - NYTimes.com
As a result, consumers don't know that taking megavitamins could increase their risk of cancer and heart disease and shorten their lives; they don't know that they have been suffering too much of a good thing for too long.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/09/opinion/sunday/dont-take-your-vitamins.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
Friday, May 31, 2013
Fwd: Wheat
'Japan and South Korea suspended some imports of American wheat, and the European Union urged its 27 nations to increase testing, after the United States government disclosed this week that a strain of genetically engineered wheat that was never approved for sale was found growing in an Oregon field.
Although none of the wheat, developed by Monsanto Company, was found in any grain shipments — and the Department of Agriculture said there would be no health risk if any was shipped — governments in Asia and Europe acted quickly to limit their risk.
South Korea, which last year purchased roughly half of its total wheat imports of five million tons from the United States, said Friday it would suspend purchases until tests were performed on arriving shipments…
Seoul also raised quarantine measures on wheat for livestock feed, while Thailand put ports on alert.
The European Union, which has a "zero tolerance" approach to genetically modified crops, said through its consumer protection office Friday that if any shipments tested positive, they would not be sold…
The United States is the world's biggest exporter of wheat. While genetically engineered corn and soybeans are routinely grown, they are largely consumed by animals, while wheat is consumed directly by people and has faced more consumer resistance…
Japan and Mexico are among the biggest importers of American wheat. The European Union imports more than one million tons each year, mostly to Spain.'
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Monday, April 8, 2013
Re: New York
<larry.r.trout wrote:
'Chef found out she has hepatitis, may have exposed 3,000 NYC diners
You can get anything in New York restaurants: Peruvian, Nepalese … hepatitis. High-end Greenwich Village eatery Alta is frantically calling recent diners to warn them about exposure to hepatitis A through their pastry chef. She apparently picked up the infection by eating something contaminated with human feces on a recent trip to Mexico. (Honestly, these daredevil gourmets are the worst.) The restaurant is now dialing its way through the reservation book to warn everyone who ate dessert since the chef's return that they missed their meal's final course: a vaccination shot'
http://now.msn.com/hepatitis-scare-at-new-york-restaurant-alta
'New York Department Of Health Expands Meningitis Vaccine Recommendations
The New York State Department of Health (DOH) is expanding a recommendation issued earlier this month by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYCDOHMH) regarding meningococcal vaccinations…
Meningococcal disease is a severe bacterial infection of the bloodstream. Common symptoms include high fever, headache, vomiting, stiff neck, and a rash. Symptoms may occur two to 10 days after exposure, but usually within five days.'
Friday, February 8, 2013
Traditional Southern diet, stroke may be linked, researcher says
http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-southern-diet-stroke-20130207,0,901477.story
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
An excerpt from Dr. Robert Lustig’s “Fat Chance” | MSNBC
disease or early death. a full 40% of normal-weight individuals harbor
insulin resistance—a sign of chronic metabolic disease—which will
likely shorten their life expectancy. of those, 20% demonstrate liver
fat on MRI of the abdomen (see Chapter 8).7 Liver fat, irrespective of
the rest of body fat, has been shown to be a major risk factor for the
development of diabetes. You think you're safe? You are SO screwed.
And you don't even know it.
http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/01/08/an-excerpt-from-dr-robert-lustigs-fat-chance/