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Category: nutrition

Published on Leave a comment on Health Benefits of Maple Syrup
Maple syrup Credit: Wikipedia

For those with a sweet tooth, maple syrup appears to be a healthier choice than sugar. A recent study found a number of health benefits in individuals who consumed some maple syrup daily in place of refined sugar.

Canadian researchers found that replacing just 2 tablespoons of refined sugars with 2  tablespoons of maple sugar daily for 8 weeks had significant beneficial health effects. Regular ingestion of maple syrup resulted in their bodies handling sugar after meals better (improved glycemic response), their blood pressure was significantly lower, their abdominal fat was reduced, an increase in beneficial gut species (bacteria linked with health), and a decrease in some gut bacterial species linked to inflammation and metabolic disorders.

In other words, there was a significant reduction in key cardiometabolic risk factors. By the way, similar results have been found in animal studies. This could be because maple syrup is a minimally processed sweetener rich in a number of beneficial nutrients and polyphenols. It's just boiled maple tree sap, with nothing added.

What made this study convincing was that persons were randomized to different groups (maple sugar or placebo), it was double-blind (no one knew what they were ingesting), and it it was a crossover study (meaning all participants were in both groups for 8 weeks with a gap in the middle). All participants were overweight adults with mild cardiometabolic alterations at the start of the study.

From SciTechDaily: Reducing Abdominal Fat: Researchers Uncover Surprising Health Benefits of Maple Syrup

A study published in The Journal of Nutrition reveals that replacing refined sugars with two tablespoons of maple syrup can significantly improve several cardiometabolic risk factors, such as blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and abdominal fat composition. This was the first placebo-controlled human clinical trial exploring the potential health benefits of maple syrup consumption. ...continue reading "Health Benefits of Maple Syrup"

Published on Leave a comment on Coffee Drinking Alters the Gut Microbiome
Cup of coffee Credit: Wikipedia

Drinking moderate amounts of coffee each day is associated with a number of health benefits. It turns out that the coffee is also feeding a particular strain of gut microbe - Lawsonibacter asaccharolyticus. 

Researchers found that more people who drink coffee daily have Lawsonibacter asaccharolyticus in their gut microbiome (the community of microbes, bacteria, and viruses that live in the intestines) than people who don't drink coffee. Additionally, the more a person drinks coffee daily, the higher the levels of the bacteria.

Newborns and children rarely have this bacteria in their gut microbiome. The bacteria is mainly found in adults living in places with an urbanized Western-lifestyle. Further research showed that the coffee stimulates the growth of L. asaccharolyticus.

By the way, it appears to be a beneficial bacteria. And yes, many other studies find that what you eat (your daily diet) influences the composition of microbes living in the gut.

From Newsweek: What Coffee Does To Your Gut

Coffee drinking seems to alter which microorganisms live in our guts, with potentially far-reaching implications for health, a large study has found.
...continue reading "Coffee Drinking Alters the Gut Microbiome"

Published on Leave a comment on Small Organic Farms Get Crushed Again

Well, well, well...small American organic farms get crushed again. A hazelnut famer sued on behalf of himself and other organic farmers regarding the fact that organic imported foods don't have to meet all the organic requirements that American grown organic foods have to meet. Things like inspections, bookkeeping, and evidence that the foods grown are actually organic.

The judge threw out the lawsuit after the USDA (US Department of Agriculture) challenged it. The federal judge said that American organic farmers were not being economically hurt. Hah! Think about it - do consumers pick the more expensive American grown organic or the cheaper foreign product? Consumers buy the cheaper product. And soon stores start to just carry the cheaper products.

The lack of oversight and not having to meet American organic standards (USDA organic seal) is why so many of the "organic" food imports aren't actually organic, and why they are so cheap compared to American organic foods. Several countries are especially notorious in flooding the American market with fake organic foods, such as China and Turkey.

Bottom line: Imported so-called organic foods don't have to meet federal requirements that American small organic farms have to meet. Buyer beware.

From Organic Eye (an investigative non-profit): USDA Lawyers Successfully Challenge Standing in Lawsuit — Turkish Hazelnut Processor’s Fraudulent Activities ‘Do Not Place US Organic Farmers at a Competitive Disadvantage’

A federal judge has found in favor of arguments made by USDA lawyers and dismissed a lawsuit brought by an Oregon hazelnut grower who claimed he, along with other US organic farmers, was being competitively injured by imports that are allowed into this country from farms that haven’t been certified and inspected as federal law requires. ...continue reading "Small Organic Farms Get Crushed Again"

Published on Leave a comment on The Government’s Role In Why Many Farms Are Contaminated With Forever Chemicals
Farm  Credit: Wikipedia

People everywhere are dismayed by the sheer quantity and number of "forever chemicals" that contaminate our environment and our bodies. Unfortunately, we all have forever chemicals (PFOS, PFAS) in us (but in varying amounts). It turns out that the US government played a role in the forever chemicals found in our food, and why so many farms are now forever contaminated.

Decades ago, the US EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) started encouraging the use of biosolids or black sludge (the sludge that is left over at wastewater treatment plants) as a fertilizer on farms in the United States. That the use of this biosolid sludge could cause problems and harms has been known for decades.

The sludge contains heavy metals and PFOS and PFAS chemicals (forever chemicals because they bioaccumulate and persist in the environment). The chemicals are linked to all sorts of health harms (e.g., cancers, reproductive problems). [Note: We are exposed to forever chemicals in many products and in the environment daily.]

Well.... of course, applying this sludge across farms has now resulted in persistent contamination of both the soil and water at those farms, but also in the animals being raised on those farms. Estimates are up to a fifth of farms are contaminated. And yet the EPA still feels this practice of applying contaminated sludge is OK!!!

Very few mass media articles actually discuss the government's role in contaminating farms (and in this way our food). So the following 2 articles were a pleasant surprise - horrifying to read, but all true.

Bottom line: Eat as much organic food, or what you grew yourself, as much as possible. The biosolid sludge is not allowed on organic farms. Also, when buying top soil (dirt) or fertilizer for your garden, avoid any product that says "biosolids" in it. (e.g., Milorganite  - known to contain PFAS and PFOS) Buy organic soil and fertilizer, if you can.

Until recently, very few mass media articles actually discussed the government's role in contaminating farms (and in this way our food). So the following 2 articles are horrifying to read, but all true.

(1) Excerpts from the New York Times: Something’s Poisoning America’s Land. Farmers Fear ‘Forever’ Chemicals.

For decades, farmers across America have been encouraged by the federal government to spread municipal sewage on millions of acres of farmland as fertilizer. It was rich in nutrients, and it helped keep the sludge out of landfills.

But a growing body of research shows that this black sludge, made from the sewage that flows from homes and factories, can contain heavy concentrations of chemicals thought to increase the risk of certain types of cancer and to cause birth defects and developmental delays in children.

Known as “forever chemicals” because of their longevity, these toxic contaminants are now being detected, sometimes at high levels, on farmland across the country, including in Texas, Maine, Michigan, New York and Tennessee. In some cases the chemicals are suspected of sickening or killing livestock and are turning up in produce. Farmers are beginning to fear for their own health.

(2) Excerpts from Yahoo News: Startling investigation exposes mountains of toxic sludge threatening America's food chain: 'People are scared to death'

A fertilizer used for decades by U.S. farms contains toxic chemicals that are being blamed for halting agricultural operations, killing animals, and endangering our food supply. ...continue reading "The Government’s Role In Why Many Farms Are Contaminated With Forever Chemicals"

Published on Leave a comment on Another Vitamin D Study With Disappointing Results

Recently, another well done study of vitamin D and cancer resulted in disappointing results. Vitamin D supplements showed no benefit in persons with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). It did not result in a difference in overall survival outcomes.

In the study, 455 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer were assigned randomly to either high daily vitamin D3 or standard dose vitamin D3, in addition to receiving standard chemotherapy. The high dose vitamin D group received a loading dose of 8000 IU per day for 2 weeks, followed by a maintenance dose of 4000 IU per day until the end of the study. The standard dose vitamin D group received 400 IU per day.

However, there was no difference in "significant progression-free survival benefit". There also was no significant difference in how long people survived in the 2 groups (a median of 25.6 months in the high-dose group, and 27.0 months in the standard dose group).

The study results were disappointing because in laboratory studies vitamin D has anticancer properties. Critics of this study pointed out that vitamin D supplementation may have a role in cancer prevention - but at this point, that is unknown.

From Medscape: High-Dose Vitamin D Disappoints in Metastatic CRC: SOLARIS

The addition of high-dose vitamin D supplementation to standard chemotherapy plus bevacizumab did not result in a significant progression-free survival benefit in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) in the SOLARIS study. ...continue reading "Another Vitamin D Study With Disappointing Results"

Published on Leave a comment on Eating Organic Foods Lowers Pesticide Levels In the Body

We all have some pesticide residues in our body, and the levels vary. One way that people are exposed to pesticides is from the foods they eat, specifically non-organic foods. Pesticides that people are exposed to can be measured in the blood and urine. 

A recent review of 72 scientific studies found that people who eat an organic diet have lower pesticide levels in their urine. (Other pesticide exposures are from the environment around us, for example, garden and lawn pesticides.)

The study authors specifically looked at pesticide residues and metabolites of common pesticides such as organophosphates, pyrethroids, 2,4-D, and glyphosate. The most commonly mentioned pesticide residue was from pyrethroids, with 34% of studies finding it in urine. Keep in mind that only a limited number of pesticide residues were looked for. In reality, people are exposed to many more in life, including from non-organic foods that they eat.

Looking at the studies, the researchers found a massive reduction in pesticide residues when an organic diet is adopted. For example, phenol and phosphonate herbicide levels drop 41% to 100% in the studies, and pyrethroid metabolites dropped 16% to 100% [Note: each study had different drops in pesticide residues.]

And yes, you want lower levels of pesticide residues in your body for health reasons. For example, pyrethroids have been associated with numerous health harms, including cancer, endocrine disruption, and reproductive effects.

Bottom line: To lower pesticide levels in your body, eat as many organic foods as possible.

Excerpts from Beyond Pesticides: Review of Pesticide Residues In Urine, Lower Concentrations With Organic Diet

 A literature review, published this month in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, explores levels of pesticide residues found in samples of human urine with environmental exposure and dietary intake and confirms prior findings about the benefits of an organic diet. Similar to past findings, lower concentrations of chemicals are detected in the urine of participants who report eating an organic diet. ...continue reading "Eating Organic Foods Lowers Pesticide Levels In the Body"

Published on Leave a comment on Diet and Risk of Developing Dementia

One message keeps being supported by research: Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, whole grains, legumes, and olive oil. A reason is because this diet is anti-inflammatory. And it turns out that inflammation is at the root of many diseases, including heart disease. And dementia.

A recent study that followed more than 84,342 older adults (60 years or older at the start of the study) found that those who ate an anti-inflammatory diet had a 21% lower chance of developing dementia. They also had larger gray matter volume in the brain, and smaller white matter lesions or spots in the brain (white matter hyperintensity volume). All of the adults had cardiometabolic diseases (e.g., heart disease, diabetes, stroke) at the start of the study.

Other studies have already confirmed that eating an anti-inflammatory diet (e.g., Mediterranean diet) is linked to lower risk of diabetes, heart disease, lower dementia risk, better cognitive function, and better brain aging (as measured by MRI scans).

From Medical Xpress: Anti-inflammatory diet could lower your odds for dementia

Eating a healthy diet that dampens inflammation in the body could lower your odds for dementia, especially if you already have heart risk factors, a new Swedish study shows. ...continue reading "Diet and Risk of Developing Dementia"

Published on Leave a comment on Low Levels of Magnesium Can Increase the Risk of Some Diseases

A diet rich in a variety of healthy foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, seeds, nuts, legumes) is important because of all the micronutrients it provides. For example, magnesium. A recent study found that low magnesium levels are linked to an increased risk of DNA damage and chronic diseases.

The reason is that low levels of magnesium in the body are associated with high amounts of homocysteine. The researchers felt that the study results indicate that "sufficiently high magnesium levels in the blood are essential to protect our genes from toxicity caused by homocysteine". Homocysteine levels increase when folate and B12 levels are deficient.

Some magnesium facts: It's the 4th most abundant mineral found in the body. It is involved with various functions in the body, including strengthening and development of bones, nerve function, regulating blood sugar and blood pressure, and DNA repair.

Magnesium rich foods are whole grains, dark green leafy vegetables (especially spinach and kale), nuts (especially, almonds, cashews, peanuts), beans, seeds (especially pumpkin and chia seeds), potatoes, rice, oatmeal, bananas, and dark chocolate.

Medical Xpress: Low magnesium levels are linked increased disease risk, study shows

A new Australian study has identified why a diet rich in magnesium is so important for our health, reducing the risk of DNA damage and chronic degenerative disorders. ...continue reading "Low Levels of Magnesium Can Increase the Risk of Some Diseases"

Published on Leave a comment on More Reasons To Avoid Artificial Sweeteners

The artificial sweetener erythritol is added to many foods. However, this sugar substitute (which is often blended with stevia) may cause health problems . A recent small study found that consuming typical "sugar-less" foods, such as erythritol sweetened drinks or erythritol sweetened muffins, more than doubled the risk of blood clotting in healthy volunteers.

After consuming the drinks, their bodies made platelets (a type of blood cell) more active, which can raise the risk of blood clots. This did not happen after consuming regular sugar (glucose).

The researchers suggest instead of artificial sweeteners, to use sugar, honey, or fruit, but in moderation.

From Medical Xpress: New study adds to increasing evidence that sugar substitute erythritol raises cardiovascular risk

New Cleveland Clinic research shows that consuming foods with erythritol, a popular artificial sweetener, increases the risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke. The findings, from a new intervention study in healthy volunteers, show erythritol made platelets (a type of blood cell) more active, which can raise the risk of blood clots. Sugar (glucose) did not have this effect. ...continue reading "More Reasons To Avoid Artificial Sweeteners"

Published on Leave a comment on Eating Ultra-Processed Plant-Based Foods Is Not Healthy

Eating plant-based foods has health benefits. But only if it's from real foods, and not ultra-processed. A recent study found that the more not ultra-processed plant-based foods a person ate (and the less ultra-processed plant-based foods), the lower their risk of cardiovascular disease  and early death.

The results show that eating minimally processed food is heart protective. And the reverse is also true: higher consumption of plant-based ultra-processed foods was associated with a greater risk of heart disease (including heart attacks and strokes) and early death from heart disease.

Read the ingredient lists! When there are ingredients that are not normally found in your kitchen (e.g., carrageenan, artificial or natural flavors, titanium dioxide, soy lecithin, high-fructose corn syrup, cellulose) - then they are ultra-processed foods. Ultra-processing strips away a food's nutrients, as well as fiber.

Yes, trying to lower consumption meat consumption and eating more plant-based foods is a good goal. But...Many meat-free foods (e.g., boxed macaroni and cheese), dairy substitutes, and plant-based "meats" are not healthy. Lots of chemicals were added to make it more meat-like or a dairy substitute - thus they are ultra-processed foods.

Packaged breads, buns, cakes, cookies and soda are meat free and plant-based foods, but they generally are ultra-processed.

Bottom line: Try to eat more fresh, frozen, or minimally plant-based foods. This is a diet rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes (beans), seeds, nuts. A good example is a Mediterranean-style diet, which has been shown to have many health benefits.

From Washington Post: When plant foods are ultra-processed, the health benefits disappear

Eating a plant-based diet is good for your health, but not if those plant foods are ultra-processed, a new study has found.

The findings show that all plant-based diets aren’t the same, and that plant foods can have very different effects on your health depending on what manufacturers do to them before they reach your plate. ...continue reading "Eating Ultra-Processed Plant-Based Foods Is Not Healthy"