Disease Proof : Disease Proof : Health & Nutrition News & Commentary : Dr. Joel Fuhrman

Guess what! Fad diets don’t cut it. A new study in yesterday’s New England Journal of Medicine showed gimmick diets, such as high-protein, low-carb and low-fat, aren’t as good as simply cutting calories. The participants, 811 overweight adults, were randomly assigned a diet and each person was encouraged to cut calories, exercise 90 minutes a week, keep a food diary and meet with a nutrition counselor. At the end of the study, no diet came out ahead, people lost an average of 13 pounds over six months, but all groups gained back their weight after a year; the Associated Press reports.

Quick, let’s break it down. Low-carb is bad, too much cancer and heart disease-promoting saturated fat. Plus, a recent study showed low-carb diets make you dopey. High-protein is equally stupid. According to Dr. Fuhrman these fat or meat-centered diets are unquestionably associated with obesity, not weight-loss. And the low-fat diet, as most Americans know it, is what made us all fat in the first place.

Here’s a better choice—coincidently, it jives with the new study—Dr. Fuhrman’s nutrient-dense diet, i.e. lots of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and beans, makes it easy to maintain a healthy bodyweight, specifically green veggies. Green vegetables are packed with fiber and low in calories, meaning you can eat lots of them, fill your stomach quickly and still lose weight. How’s that for a sale pitch!

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• I guess squirrels don’t get peanut allergies. But kids don’t have to get them either! A new study in the journal Allergy claims kids fed increasing amounts of peanut flour over a period of six weeks actually built up higher thresholds to peanuts over time; via FoodNavigator.

• Cinnamon is already an aphrodisiac, but now new research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests eating 3 grams of cinnamon per day could also help control blood glucose levels, by lowering insulin response after a meal; NutraIngredients reports.

• Now, quite the opposite, new findings in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism reveal drinking beverages sweated with pure fructose, not high-fructose corn syrup, with food raises triglycerides in obese people after eating; back to FoodNavigator.

• Global food production may face more problems by 2050, like even higher food prices and 50% of food grain being diverted to livestock due to stagnant cereal crops. But right now, there is some good news. Organic agriculture is up 128% in East Africa; from TreeHugger.

• Video games can distract you from our food woes. But don’t play too much! Some gamers are developing painful lumps on their palms from the Sony PlayStation controller, called "PlayStation palmar hidradentitis." They’re actually skin lesions; Reuters investigates.

• Killer video games are not the only danger to young people. New data from the CDC reveals people between the ages of 18 to 29 aren’t as healthy as we assume. They smoke too much, nearly a quarter are obese and they don’t exercise nearly enough; via Fit Sugar.

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The obesity problem always raises some weird news, like to combat obesity New York City put posters displaying the number of calories in popular fast foods, like cheeseburgers and muffins, all over the subways. Then a city in Italy wanted to pay people to lose weight and some experts believe people are fat because they have sick fat cells.

But this news is not so light, no pun-intended, research in British Medical Journal claims obese young men, at the age of 18, are more likely to die prematurely later in life than normal weight teenagers. After reviewing the deaths of over 45,000 men, scientists determined the incidence of death was highest among the obese; Reuters reports.

And recently, studies have come out linking obesity to cancer, headaches, high blood pressure and thyroid inflammation in children.

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This summer New York City put the clamps on trans-fat, banning it from the city and since then other parts of New York have followed suite. Suffolk County, Long Island banned trans-fat earlier this month, along with Nassau, Albany and Westchester counties. Local officials call it an important move that will help residents eat smarter and healthier. But not everyone is happy, a senator in New Jersey who proposed a ban last year actually received physical threats and hate mail; The New York Times reports.

Trans-fat is bad news! A recent study linked trans-fat to colon cancer and it has been associated with both heart disease and cancer. Trans-fat turns up in all sorts of food, like dried soups, frozen entrees, energy bars, doughnuts, cookies and much more, so make a note, don’t eat that crap.

Actually, New York has been pretty proactive with food lately, by requiring restaurants to post calories on menus and New York Governor David Paterson wants to put a tax on sugary beverages, like non-diet drinks and any fruit juice that is less than 70% juice.

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I don’t like this. Not one bit. According to a new release in the United States Defense Department's Medical Surveillance Monthly Report more and more U.S. troops serving in Iraq are overweight or obese. In fact, the number of troops diagnosed with weight issues has doubled since the start of the Iraq war in 2003. The reasons why include stress from long deployments and, believe it or not, fast food and unhealthy habits like playing video games infiltrating the military; the USA Today investigates.

Troubling news, but its not much better here at home, reports have the states like Mississippi and Alabama continue to leading the nation in obesity, ushering in a more heart disease and diabetes. This is doubly bad because obese people now outnumber overweight Americans.

In related news, last year Mexico unveiled plans to encourage citizens to lose 2 million pounds, this after being named one of the world fattest countries. Aye carumba!

Via That’s Fit.

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According to a new study presented at this year’s American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference, people who live in communities full of fast-food restaurants are more likely to have a stroke. Researchers examined stroke data on residents of Nueces County, Texas, where fast food restaurants are heavily concentrated, between January 1, 2000 and June 2003, and discovered stroke risk was 13% higher and risk increased 1% for each fast-food place in a neighborhood; Reuters reports.

Don’t forget. In December, it was determined students whose school is within walking distance of fast food restaurants are less likely to eat fruits and vegetables and more likely to drink soda and be obese.

Okay, hopefully you don’t need reasons not to eat fast food, but in case you’ve had a stroke and forgot, fast food has been linked to organ damage and its packed with trans-fat and lots of salt. Yuck!

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New findings in the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology reveal eating omega-3 fatty acids may protect the liver from damage caused by obesity, specifically insulin resistance. The experiment, which used mice with altered genes to make them obese and diabetic, discovered those mice feed a diet rich in omega-3’s had less hepatic inflammation and improved insulin tolerance. Researchers hope these findings will help doctors and nutritionists develop better weight-loss diets for obese patients; ScienceDaily investigates.

Now, sources of omega-3’s include flaxseed, 1.7 grams per tablespoon; flax oil, 2.2 grams per teaspoon; walnuts, 2 grams per serving of 12 walnut halves; soybeans, 2 grams per 1 1/2 cups; and tofu, 2 grams per 1 1/2 cups. And according to Dr. Fuhrman, nuts and seeds are perfectly adapted for human consumption.

Other studies have shown omega-3 fatty acids boost brain power and eye health and reduce the risk of type-1 diabetes and lower the likelihood of having another stroke.

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Overweight people between the ages of 20 and 55 may be more likely to get migraine headaches. To be presented at the upcoming American Academy of Neurology's 61st Annual Meeting in Seattle, new researcher involving 22,211 people who suffered from severe headaches or migraines showed those individuals with bigger waists, i.e. more belly fat, had more headaches. In overweight women the risk was 8% higher and 4% in men; ScienceDaily investigates.

And earlier study also linked fat to headaches, with obese men reporting 15% more headaches and 28% in women. I wonder why the risk always seems to be higher in women. Must be from dealing with all the fat men!

Actually, certain foods, unhealthy foods, like cheese, alcohol and sweets, can trigger migraines, so avoiding them is a pretty good idea.

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A new study in Environmental Health claims women drinking two or more regular sodas a day may have a higher risk of kidney damage. Consuming lots of soda, i.e. high-fructose corn syrup, increases risk of albuminuria, a marker of early kidney disease. Of the participants, 9,358 women ages 20 and up, those who drank at least two sodas a day had a 40% higher risk of albuminuria. Men have a similar risk; via Med Page Today.

Actually, a previous report listed soft drinks, along with red meat and salt, as cancer-causing foods. Maybe that’s why New York wants to slap a tax on sugary drinks, like soda, and why the FDA slammed Coca-Cola for making bogus health claims about Coke Plus.

This is funny too. Coke says soda is great for hydrating your body after a workout. Yeah, and the sugar high will bounce you off the walls too—stupid!

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• Some health experts believe our obsession with cleanliness is making us sick. They’re even being so bold to suggest we eat some worms and dirt and, get your vomit bags ready, ingest fecal bacteria. Exposure to filth may bolster our immune system; via DiscoBlog.

• Misdiagnosed food allergies may be on the rise and in extreme cases putting children at risk for malnutrition. And reports claim avoiding certain foods for fear of mistaken food allergies may make children more sensitive when foods are eventually eaten; from Well.

• We all know antioxidants in fruits and vegetables keep you healthy. Cranberries are loaded with antioxidants. So, one company has invented cranberry dental floss and claims using it attaches phytochemicals to your teeth and prevents gum disease; via Vitamin G.

• On Tuesday, the owner of the U.S. peanut company responsible for the salmonella-peanut butter outbreak pleaded the 5th and refused to answer questions before Congress, while internal company messages show him complaining about lost profits; Reuters reports.

• Nintendo’s Wii Fit is different than other video games systems. In that it requires some moving around, rather than just sitting on your butt all day, but gaming experts call Wii Fit an exercise fad with very few people continuing to use it after a month; Forbes explains.

• Speaking of exercise, given America’s bulging weight problem, the accepted standard of 30 minutes of exercise 5 times a week may not be enough for long term weight-loss. Rather, some people are in favor of 200 to 300 minutes of exercise per week; Reuters investigates.

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Obesity is on the rise, especially among children. So getting kids to run around is a good idea, but a new study in Child Development reveals many children in preschool spend only 8% of their day involved light physical activity and just 3% doing moderate to vigorous physical activity, but the rest of the day, 89%, is spent sedentary and teachers were unlikely to encourage kids to be more physically active. But placing toys outside in open spaces made kids more likely to get moving; from EurekAlert!

No doubt, this isn’t helping to lessen the obesity trend and to make matters worse. Pediatricians are failing to diagnosis weight problems in children. In an earlier report, only 10% of children studied were given a weight-related diagnosis. And many parents don’t even realize their kid is overweight.

In December, a study found that parents’ genetics are linked to a child’s risk of obesity, but social factors, like lifestyle choices, physical activity and meals, are just as important. Everyone, exercise!

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A low-calorie diet and exercise may help cure sleep apnea. Reported in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, researchers examined 81 patients with mild sleep apnea, 40 participants were given a low-calorie diet and lifestyle counseling, losing an average of 20 pounds in a year and reducing symptoms of sleep apnea. But the remaining 41 people only received counseling and lost an average of 6 pounds and were unlikely to improve in their sleep apnea; via EurekAlert!

Actually, a previous study showed people eating diets high in cholesterol and artery-clogging saturated fat were at heightened risk of developing severe symptoms of sleep apnea, but many doctors still don’t give their obese patients diet plans. Other dangers of obesity include type-2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, fatty liver disease and increased overall mortality.

In related news, this November a 32-year long study revealed children consistently getting enough sleep were less likely to become obese as adults.

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A new study in the British Journal of Nutrition claims a diet rich in lignans, phytochemicals found in flaxseed, whole grains, berries and other fruits and vegetables, lowers women’s body mass index and significantly reduces blood glucose levels. Participants, 115 women, tracked their lignan intake using a 3-day dietary record and blood tests revealed those women with the highest lignan levels had less body fat and a better metabolic profile, including higher insulin sensitivity; Nutraingredients reports.

Seeds are a great source of lignans! According to Dr. Fuhrman, lignans are a type of fiber and eating foods, like flaxseed, has been shown to protect against heart disease and cancer. Sesame seeds are cool too. They’re loaded with calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, manganese, zinc, fiber and vitamins.

Actually, my breakfast pudding is made with both sesame seeds and flaxseed. It’s also got sunflower seeds, walnuts and avocado, lots of healthy fats! Sometimes I throw blueberries in too.

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A U.K. standards agency has upheld complaints against Kellogg’s for advertisements implying their cookies are healthy, when they’re actually high in sugar and saturated fat. And while Kellogg’s didn’t do anything factually wrong, the agency contends Kellogg’s places emphasis on the wrong things, i.e. the scant vitamins and minerals in the cookies. When reached for comment, a company representative said the cookies are just a sweet treat with a little bit extra; from FoodNavigator.

Yeah, you got to be pretty stupid to think cookies are healthy. Now, in October a study revealed Kellogg's Honey Smacks breakfast cereal contains as much sugar as a Dunkin’ Donuts glazed doughnut. Kellogg’s cereals are also loaded with salt. Eek!

It’s been tough for Kellogg’s lately. Their peanut butter’s got salmonella and celebrity spokesman Michael Phelps is now a pot head.

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A new study in Environmental Health discovered mercury in citric acid, sodium benzoate and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). An analysis of HFCS from three different manufacturers revealed mercury levels ranging from under the detection limit of 0.005 to 0.570 micrograms of mercury per gram of high fructose corn syrup. The researchers claim average daily consumption of HFCS in America is 50 grams per person, spelling possible danger for children and sensitive populations; Reuters investigates.

But back in October, the lunatics at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ruled that high fructose corn syrup is natural, prompting an ad campaign by corn refiners insisting that HFCS is the same as sugar. Yeah, because that’s something to brag about!

Sorry sugar pushers. Previous reports have linked high fructose corn syrup with diabetes and obesity and soft drinks with cardiovascular disease.

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