Optimal Essentials - Research

Fried food 'fine for heart' if cooked with olive oil

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +1030

Eating fried food may not be bad for the heart, as long as you use olive or sunflower oil to make it, experts say. They found no heightened risk of heart disease or premature death linked to food that had been cooked in this way.

But the investigators stress that their findings, from studying the typical Spanish diet in which these "healthy" oils are found in abundance, do not apply to lard or other cooking oils. So traditional fry ups should not be the order of the day, bmj.com reports.

When food is fried it becomes more calorific because the food absorbs the fat of the oils. And experts know that eating lots of fat-laden food can raise blood pressure and cause high cholesterol, which are risk factors for heart disease.

For the study, the researchers at the Autonomous University of Madrid surveyed 40,757 adults about their diet. The participants were asked about what types of food they ate in a typical week and how that food was prepared and cooked. None of the adults had any sign of heart disease at the start of the 11-year study, but by the end of it 606 heart disease events and 1,134 deaths had occurred.

When the researchers looked at these heart events in detail, they could find no link with fried food in the diet. This, they believe, is down to the type of oil the food is cooked in.

In an accompanying editorial, Professor Michael Leitzmann from the University of Regensburg in Germany said: "Taken together, the myth that frying food is generally bad for the heart is not supported by available evidence.

"However, this does not mean that frequent meals of fish and chips will have no health consequences.

"The study suggests that specific aspects of frying food are relevant, such as the oil used, together with other aspects of the diet."

Mediterranean diets have long been hailed as healthy, being packed full of low-fat, high-fibre fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as fresh fish. And numerous studies have shown a balanced diet such as this can cut the risk of illnesses like cancer and heart disease.

Victoria Taylor, a senior heart health dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, said: "Before we all reach for the frying pan, it's important to remember that this was a study of a Mediterranean diet rather than British fish and chips. Our diet in the UK will differ from Spain, so we cannot say that this result would be the same for us too.

"Participants in this study used unsaturated fats such as olive and sunflower oil to fry their food. We currently recommend swapping saturated fats like butter, lard or palm oil for unsaturated fats as a way of keeping your cholesterol down and this study gives further cause to make that switch.

"Regardless of the cooking methods used, consuming foods with high fat content means a high calorie intake. This can lead to weight gain and obesity, which is a risk factor for heart disease. A well-balanced diet, with plenty of fruit and veg and only a small amount of high fat foods, is best for a healthy heart."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-16691754

Pomegranate seed oil doesn't cool hot flashes: study

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +1030

Women taking pomegranate seed oil, marketed as an alternative remedy for menopausal symptoms, got no more relief from hot flashes than women taking a pill containing sunflower oil as a placebo, according to an Austrian study.

The study, in which women took the pomegranate seed oil -- which is rich in plant compounds called phytoestrogens that mimic estrogen -- twice a day, was the first clinical trial of the remedy and appeared in the journal Menopause.

As many as 85 percent of women experience hot flashes -- a sensation of heat, often accompanied by sweating, rapid heartbeat and anxiety -- many times a day before, during or after menopause.

"In postmenopausal women, pomegranate seed oil does not significantly reduce hot flashes within a 12-week observation period, but further studies are needed to investigate the long-term effect," wrote lead researcher Leo Auerback at the Medical University of Vienna.

His team followed 81 postmenopausal women aged 45 to 60. All the women experienced a minimum of five hot flashes a day, and had gone at least 12 months since their final menstrual period.

Each participant kept a diary of menopause symptoms and took two 30-milligram capsules of pomegranate seed oil or placebo pills daily for 12 weeks. At the start and the end of the study period, the researchers also tested their hormone levels.

At the beginning of the study, women in the treatment group reported having an average of 11.1 hot flashes a day, and women in the placebo group reported 9.9 hot flashes each day, on average.

After 12 weeks, the women taking pomegranate seed oil saw a nearly 39 percent reduction on hot flashes, to 6.8 per day, while women in the placebo group saw a drop of nearly 26 percent, to an average of 7.3 a day.

The 13 percent difference between the effects seen in the two groups was too small to credit pomegranate seed oil with any real benefit, the researchers said.

The study found no differences between the participants' hormone levels before and after the 12-week treatment, although the women on pomegranate seed oil did report a statistically significant improvement in sleep quality and related symptoms.

The researchers added that the marked drop in hot flashes seen in both groups was likely attributable to a so-called "placebo effect" -- a trend seen in most studies of treatments for menopausal symptoms that include a placebo control.

"Like most herbal remedies, there is no clear evidence that it is effective at reducing menopause symptoms," said Silvina Levis, who specializes in geriatrics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Florida but did not take part in the study.

Previous research has found that soy supplements and red clover extract, which also contain phytoestrogens, are not effective at reducing menopause symptoms such as hot flashes.

The current study was funded by German herbal supplement maker PEKANA, which also supplied the supplements.

Currently, only hormone therapy -- medications containing synthetic estrogens -- is approved for the treatment of hot flashes in the United States. SOURCE: http://bit.ly/xId2Ki

(Reporting from New York by Lindsey Korkel at Reuters Health; editing by Elaine Lies and Ron Popeski)

http://news.yahoo.com/pomegranate-seed-oil-doesnt-cool-hot-flashes-study-025541355.html

Fibre and whole grains 'reduce bowel cancer risk'

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +1030

Eating more cereals and whole grains could reduce the risk of developing colorectal cancer, a BMJ study says.

Researchers from Imperial College London found that for every 10g a day increase in fibre intake, there was a 10% drop in the risk of bowel cancer.

But their analysis of 25 previous studies found that fruit and vegetable fibre did not reduce risk.

A cancer charity called for more detailed research on the quantity and type of fibre to eat.

Eating fibre and whole grains is known to help protect against cardiovascular disease, but experts say that any link with colorectal cancer is less clear because studies have not had consistent results.

Reviewing the results of all previous observational studies in this area, researchers in London, Leeds and the Netherlands analysed data provided by almost two million people.

Their conclusion, published in the British Medical Journal, is that increasing fibre intake, particularly cereal fibre and whole grains, helps prevent colorectal cancer.

Whole grains include foods such as whole grain breads, brown rice, cereals, oatmeal and porridge.

Dagfinn Aune, lead study author and research associate in the department of epidemiology and biostatistics at Imperial College London, said their analysis found a linear association between dietary fibre and colorectal cancer.

"The more of this fibre you eat the better it is. Even moderate amounts have some effect."

Adding three servings (90g per day) of whole grains to diets was linked to a 20% reduction in the risk of colorectal cancer, researchers said.

Cancer Research UK data shows that the lifetime risk of being diagnosed with colorectal cancer in the UK is estimated to be one in 14 (6.9%) for men, and one in 19 for women (5.4%).

However, the study said there was no evidence that fibre in fruit and vegetables played a part in reducing risk.

A previous study which showed a reduction in risk with high intake of fruit and vegetables suggests that compounds other than fibre in fruit and vegetables could account for this result, said the authors.

They also said that the health benefits of increasing fibre and whole grains intake was not restricted to colorectal cancer.

"It is also likely to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, overweight and obesity, and possibly overall mortality," the researchers said.

"It is encouraging to know that simple changes to your diet and lifestyle could help protect you from the UK's second biggest cancer killer."

Yinka Ebo, senior health information officer at Cancer Research UK, said the review added weight to the evidence that fibre protects against bowel cancer.

"It shows that certain sources of fibre, such as cereal and whole grains, are particularly important.

"Eating plenty of fibre is just one of many things you can do to lower your risk of developing the disease, along with keeping a healthy weight, being physically active, cutting down on alcohol, red and processed meat, and not smoking."

In an accompanying editorial in the BMJ, Professor Anne Tjonneland from the Danish Cancer Society, said whole grain products should be made more appealing to shoppers.

"To increase the intake of these foods in Western countries, the health benefits must be actively communicated and the accessibility of whole grain products greatly improved, preferably with a simple labelling system that helps consumers to choose products with high whole grain contents."

Cancer of the large bowel, also known as colorectal cancer, is a common form of cancer in developed countries - but occurs much less frequently in the developing world.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15674998

Processed meat 'linked to pancreatic cancer

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +1030

A link between eating processed meat, such as bacon or sausages, and pancreatic cancer has been suggested by researchers in Sweden. They said eating an extra 50g of processed meat, approximately one sausage, every day would increase a person's risk by 19%. But the chance of developing the rare cancer remains low.

The World Cancer Research Fund suggested the link may be down to obesity. Eating red and processed meat has already been linked to bowel cancer. As a result the UK government recommended in 2011 that people eat no more than 70g a day. Prof Susanna Larsson, who conducted the study at the Karolinska Institute, told the BBC that links to other cancers were "quite controversial".

She added: "It is known that eating meat increases the risk of colorectal cancer, it's not so much known about other cancers." The study, published in the British Journal of Cancer, analysed data from 11 trials and 6,643 patients with pancreatic cancer.

It found that eating processed meat increased the risk of pancreatic cancer. The risk increased by 19% for every 50g someone added to their daily diet. Having an extra 100g would increase the risk by 38%. Prof Larsson said: "Pancreatic cancer has poor survival rates. So as well as diagnosing it early, it's important to understand what can increase the risk of this disease." She recommended that people eat less red meat.

Cancer Research UK said the risk of developing pancreatic cancer in a lifetime was "comparatively small" - one in 77 for men and one in 79 for women. Sara Hiom, the charity's information director, said: "The jury is still out as to whether meat is a definite risk factor for pancreatic cancer and more large studies are needed to confirm this, but this new analysis suggests processed meat may be playing a role." However, she pointed out that smoking was a much greater risk factor.

The World Cancer Research Fund has advised people to completely avoid processed meat. Dr Rachel Thompson, the fund's deputy head of science, said: "We will be re-examining the factors behind pancreatic cancer later this year as part of our Continuous Update Project, which should tell us more about the relationship between cancer of the pancreas and processed meat.

"There is strong evidence that being overweight or obese increases the risk of pancreatic cancer and this study may be an early indication of another factor behind the disease. "Regardless of this latest research, we have already established a strong link between eating red and processed meat and your chances of developing bowel cancer, which is why WCRF recommends limiting intake of red meat to 500g cooked weight a week and avoid processed meat altogether."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-16526695

'Tell loved ones they are overweight this Christmas'

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +1030

Christmas may be a time of indulging for many, but health experts believe it is the perfect time to tell a loved one they are overweight.

The National Obesity Forum and International Chair on Cardiometabolic Risk said it was important to be upfront because of the health risks.

Being overweight - particularly around the waist - increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

But a poll by the groups suggests too many people shy away from the issue.

The survey of more than 2,000 people found 42% of 18 to 24-year-olds would not tell a loved one they should lose weight because of a fear they would hurt the other person's feelings.

For those aged 25 to 44 it was just over a third, while for older people it was about one in four.

Men find it hardest to tell their partners, while women were more worried about bringing up the issue with a friend.

But with families and friends getting together up and down the country over the festive period, the experts believe there is an opportunity that should not be missed.

Prof David Haslam, chair of the National Obesity Forum, said: "Suggesting to someone that they should consider losing a few pounds may not be a comfortable conversation to have.

"But if someone close to you has a large waistline then as long as you do it sensitively, discussing it with them now could help them avoid critical health risks later down the line and could even save their life."

Dr Jean Pierre Despres, scientific director of the International Chair on Cardiometabolic Risk, agreed.

"Start by encouraging someone close to you to make simple lifestyle changes such as becoming more active, making small alterations to their eating habits and replacing sugary drinks with water."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16275027

Strict diet could save brain from aging: study

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +1030

Eating less may keep the mind young, according to Italian scientists who reported Monday they have discovered the molecular process by which a strict diet may save the brain from the ravages of age.

The research, published in the US journal the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is based on a study of mice that were fed a diet of about 70 percent of the food they normally consumed.

Scientists found the calorie-restricted diet triggered a protein molecule, CREB1, that activates a host of genes linked to longevity and good brain function.

"Our hope is to find a way to activate CREB1, for example through new drugs, so to keep the brain young without the need of a strict diet," said lead author Giovambattista Pani, researcher at the Institute of General Pathology, Faculty of Medicine at the Catholic University of Sacred Heart in Rome.

Researchers have previously discovered that mice on diets showed better cognitive abilities and memory, less aggression, and tended to avoid or delay Alzheimer's disease. But they have not known exactly why.

"CREB1 is known to regulate important brain functions as memory, learning and anxiety control, and its activity is reduced or physiologically compromised by aging," said the study.

Mice that were genetically altered to lack CREB1 showed none of the same memory benefits if they were on a low-calorie diet as mice that had the molecule, and showed the same brain disabilities as mice that were overfed.

"Thus, our findings identify for the first time an important mediator of the effects of diet on the brain," Pani said.

"This discovery has important implications to develop future therapies to keep our brain young and prevent brain degeneration and the aging process."

According to Marc Gordon, chief of neurology at Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, New York, the findings could shed new light on why some people who are obese in middle age encounter cognitive problems later in life.

"Mid-life obesity has been associated with late-life dementia. However, the physiological basis for this association remains unclear," said Gordon, who was not part of the study.

"These investigators have studied the effects of limiting caloric intake in mice, and have identified a biochemical pathway that may mediate at least some of the brain's responses to dietary restriction."

http://news.yahoo.com/strict-diet-could-save-brain-aging-study-202148422.html

Over 40% of cancers due to lifestyle, says review

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +1030

Nearly half of cancers diagnosed in the UK each year - over 130,000 in total - are caused by avoidable life choices including smoking, drinking and eating the wrong things, a review reveals.

Tobacco is the biggest culprit, causing 23% of cases in men and 15.6% in women, says the Cancer Research UK report.

Next comes a lack of fresh fruit and vegetables in men's diets, while for women it is being overweight.

The report is published in the British Journal of Cancer.

Its authors claim it is the most comprehensive analysis to date on the subject.

Lead author Prof Max Parkin said: "Many people believe cancer is down to fate or 'in the genes' and that it is the luck of the draw whether they get it.

"Looking at all the evidence, it's clear that around 40% of all cancers are caused by things we mostly have the power to change."

For men, the best advice appears to be: stop smoking, eat more fruit and veg and cut down on how much alcohol you drink.

For women, again, the reviews says the best advice is to stop smoking, but also watch your weight.

Prof Parkin said: "We didn't expect to find that eating fruit and vegetables would prove to be so important in protecting men against cancer. And among women we didn't expect being overweight to be more of a risk factor than alcohol."

In total, 14 lifestyle and environmental factors, such as where you live and the job you do, combine to cause 134,000 cancers in the UK each year.

About 100,000 (34%) of the cancers are linked to smoking, diet, alcohol and excess weight.

One in 25 of cancers is linked to a person's job, such as being exposed to chemicals or asbestos.

Some risk factors are well established, such as smoking's link with lung cancer.

But others are less recognised.

For example, for breast cancer, nearly a 10th of the risk comes from being overweight or obese, far outweighing the impact of whether or not the woman breastfeeds or drinks alcohol.

And for oesophageal or gullet cancer, half of the risk comes from eating too little fruit and veg, while only a fifth of the risk is from alcohol, the report shows.

For stomach cancer, a fifth of the risk comes from having too much salt in the diet, data suggests.

Some cancers, like mouth and throat cancer, are caused almost entirely by lifestyle choices.

But others, like gall bladder cancer, are largely unrelated to lifestyle.

The researchers base their calculations on predicted numbers of cases for 18 different types of cancer in 2010, using UK incidence figures for the 15-year period from 1993 to 2007.

In men, 6.1% (9,600) of cancer cases were linked to a lack of fruit and vegetables, 4.9% (7,800) to occupation, 4.6% (7,300) to alcohol, 4.1% (6,500) to overweight and obesity and 3.5% (5,500) to excessive sun exposure and sunbeds.

In women, 6.9% (10,800) were linked to overweight and obesity, 3.7% (5,800) to infections such as HPV (which causes most cases of cervical cancer), 3.6% (5,600) to excessive sun exposure and sunbeds, 3.4% (5,300) to lack of fruit and vegetables and 3.3% (5,100) to alcohol.

Dr Rachel Thompson, of the World Cancer Research Fund, said the report added to the "now overwhelmingly strong evidence that our cancer risk is affected by our lifestyles".

Dr Harpal Kumar, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said leading a healthy lifestyle did not guarantee a person would not get cancer but the study showed "we can significantly stack the odds in our favour".

"If there are things we can do to reduce our risk of cancer we should do as much as we possibly can," he said.

Glyn Berwick, of Penny Brohn Cancer Care, which specialises in offering nutrition and exercise advice, agreed.

"We know from years of experience the positive impact that changing lifetsyles can have."

The president of the Royal College of Physicians, Sir Richard Thompson, said the findings were a wake-up call to the government to take stronger action on public health.

"The rising incidence of preventable cancers shows that the 'carrot' approach of voluntary agreements with industry is not enough to prompt healthy behaviours, and needs to be replaced by the 'stick' approach of legislative solutions," he said

The government said it was intending to begin a consultation on plain packaging by the end of this year.

Diane Abbott, Shadow Public Health Minister, said: "The government is failing on all the main public health issues.

"And the message from Labour, the Tory-led Public Health Committee, campaigners like Jamie Oliver and even some the government's own policy panels is clear: the government's approach to tackling lifestyle-related health problems is completely inadequate."

Public Health Minister Anne Milton said: "We all know that around 23,000 cases of lung cancer could be stopped each year in England if people didn't smoke.

"By making small changes we can cut our risk of serious health problems - give up smoking, watch what you drink, get more exercise and keep an eye on your weight."

Warning on dangers of sleeping with baby

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +1030

PARENTS should avoid sleeping with their babies for at least the first six months of the newborns' lives and health authorities must give new parents clear and consistent warnings of the risks involved, a coroner's court has heard.

Victorian Coroner John Olle said it was "startling" that young mothers were still being given information in hospitals advocating co-sleeping as a way of bonding with babies, when hospitals knew it was "anathema" to the baby's welfare.

"Lessons have not been learnt," he said, despite the deaths of 33 infants in Victoria since 2008 in circumstances where the babies were sleeping with parents.

Mr Olle said a hearing yesterday into the deaths of five of the babies was only a "small representative sample of a significant number I was confronted with when I first became aware of this horror".

The court heard that co-sleeping was most dangerous in circumstances where there was maternal smoking, where infants were placed on pillows, or were sleeping with adults other than the mother, where the mother was exhausted, or where there was alcohol or drug use, including prescription drugs.

Yeliena Baber, a pathologist at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, said that in four of the five cases, the babies had been exposed to smoke and in up to 70 per cent of sudden infant death syndrome cases, there was exposure to maternal smoking.

Dr Baber said major epidemiological studies suggested that sleeping in the same room as an infant could reduce the risk of SIDS by as much as 50 per cent and this was recommended for the first six to 12 months of an infant's life, but that co-sleeping with parents was an "inherently dangerous environment".

But she said new parents were given conflicting literature by health services and professionals.

Dr Baber said the recommended sleeping environment for young infants was a cot with firm mattress, with no use of soft pillows or bumpers.

Preferred bedding was a sheet with lightweight blanket or blankets, which could be tucked in at the sides. The environment should be neither too hot nor too cold (about 16-18C) and well ventilated. The infant should be placed in a supine (face upwards) position rather than prone, or side-sleeping position.

A court study of 72 infant deaths from January 1, 2008, to December 31 last year found 33 deaths occurred while the babies were sharing a sleep surface.

Mr Olle's findings will be released on a date to be fixed.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/health-science/warning-on-dangers-of-sleeping-with-baby/story-e6frg8y6-1226209611191

Dreaming 'eases painful memories’

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +1030

Scientists have used scans to shed more light on how the brain deals with the memory of unpleasant or traumatic events during sleep.

The University of California, Berkeley team showed emotional images to volunteers, then scanned them several hours later as they saw them again.

Those allowed to sleep in between showed less activity in the areas of the brain linked to emotion.

Instead, the part of the brain linked to rational thought was more active.

The study, published in the journal Current Biology, said it showed the links between dreams and memory.

Most people have to deal with traumatic events at some point in their lives, and, for some, these can produce post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), leaving them emotionally disturbed long after the event itself.

Mapping blood flow

There is significant evidence that the 20% of sleep in which we dream, also called REM sleep, plays a role in the processing of recent memories, and researchers believe that better understanding of this could eventually help PTSD patients.

The researchers recruited 35 volunteers, splitting them into two groups.

After showing them 150 images designed to provoke an emotional reaction, half were allowed a good night's sleep.

While inside an MRI scanner to map blood flow in the brain - a good way to work out which regions are most active - the volunteers were shown the images a second time.

Those who had slept properly had less activity in the amygdala, a part of the brain associated with heightened emotions, and more activity in the prefrontal cortex, a brain region linked to more rational thinking.

The non-sleepers reported a far more emotional response to seeing the pictures again.

The scientists believe that chemical changes in the brain during REM sleep may help explain how the body makes this change.

Dr Matthew Walker, who led the study, said: "We know that during REM sleep there is a sharp decrease in norepinephrine, a brain chemical associated with stress.

"By reprocessing previous emotional experiences in this neurochemically safe environment of low norepinephrine during REM sleep, we wake up the next day, and those experiences have been softened in their emotional strength.

"We feel better about them, we feel we can cope."

Consultant clinical psychologist Dr Roderick Orner said that although sleep was believed by many to play a crucial role in the processing of traumatic memories, there were likely to be many other factors at work in PTSD patients.

He said: "In cases of more severe trauma, it may be just too difficult for the patient to process it during sleep, especially if the event has had a significant impact on that person's day to day life."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15862384

Eating canned soup 'poses a chemical risk'

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +1030

People who eat canned soup should be aware that a chemical used to line the tin can leach into the food and end up in the body, say scientists.

Tests on 75 volunteers revealed the compound bisphenol A (BPA) was readily ingested and detected in large amounts in the urine, the Journal of the American Medical Association reports.

Past studies have linked high BPA levels with adverse health effects.

In the EU the chemical is already banned from baby bottles.

But it is still used in cans as a coating to prevent rusting and keep the food fresh. Some soft drink cans and bottles also contain BPA.

Dr Jenny Carwile, lead author of the latest study at the Harvard School of Public Health, said: "We've known for a while that drinking beverages that have been stored in certain hard plastics can increase the amount of BPA in your body. This study suggests that canned foods may be an even greater concern, especially given their wide use."

Her team asked the volunteers to eat either a freshly made 12oz serving of vegetarian soup or one out of a can once a day for five days.

After a weekend of rest, the groups switched over so that the fresh soup group now ate the canned variety and vice-versa.

Tests on their urine revealed detectable BPA in 77% of samples after fresh soup consumption and 100% of samples after canned soup consumption.

A serving of tinned soup a day appeared to increase BPA 20-fold.

The average concentration of BPA was 1.1 μg/L after fresh soup consumption compared to and 20.8 μg/L after eating soup from a tin.

The researchers say levels like these are "among the most extreme reported in a non-occupational setting".

The study did not look at what the health impact of this might be, but they say this warrants further investigation, even if rises might be temporary.

Fellow researcher Karin Michels said: "The magnitude of the rise in urinary BPA we observed after just one serving of soup was unexpected and may be of concern among individuals who regularly consume foods from cans or drink several canned beverages daily.

"It may be advisable for manufacturers to consider eliminating BPA from can linings."

The UK's Food Standards Agency said: "Our current advice is that BPA from food contact materials does not represent a risk to consumers but the agency will be looking at this study, as it would at any new piece of work, to see if it has any implications for our advice to consumers."

The North American Metal Packaging Alliance said that BPA is "highly unlikely" to affect health.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15834072