August, 2008
Limiting Refined Carbohydrates May Stall the Progression of Macular Degeneration
Limiting carbohydrates in the diet may help slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to a recent study by researchers at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University.
The study builds on a recent analysis that found that men and women older than 55 years who consumed diets with higher-than-average dietary glycemic index foods appeared to have an increased risk for early and later stages of AMD. Dietary glycemic index determines how quickly carbohydrates are broken down into glucose: Foods with a high glycemic index are associated with a faster rise and subsequent drop in blood sugar than those with a low glycemic index.
Results showed that those who consumed the greatest amount of refined carbohydrates were 17 percent more likely to develop blinding AMD than the group that consumed the least. Based on this data, the investigators believe that limiting dietary refined carbohydrates in at-risk elderly people could reduce the number of advanced AMD cases by 8 percent in five years. The authors note, however, that their findings warrant randomized controlled clinical trials.
SOURCE: Chiu CJ, Milton RC, Klein R, et al. Dietary carbohydrate and the progression of age-related macular degeneration: A prospective study from the Age-Related Eye Disease Study. Am J Clin Nutr 2007;86(4):1210-8.
Editor's Note: For many years people were misled down the path of being told diets low in fats would keep them healthy, and that refined carbohydrates did not matter, so people started adding large amounts of fat-free cakes and cookies into their diets.
Now we know that most chronic disease may be caused by excess refined carbohydrates, and not the fats we were told to cut out (with the exception of fried food and hydrogenated oils which have no place in anyone's diet).
Editor's Note2: See more information on nutrients related to AMD management and self-help tips.
Topical Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acids for Dry Eye
A recent study evaluated the efficacy of topical application of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and linoleic acid (LA) for dry eye treatment. Formulations containing ALA, LA, combined ALA and LA or vehicle alone were applied to dry eyes induced in mice.
Topical ALA treatment led to a significant decrease in dry eye signs and inflammatory changes at both cellular and molecular levels. Topical application of ALA omega-3 fatty acid may be a novel therapy to treat the clinical signs and inflammatory changes accompanying dry eye syndrome.
SOURCE: Rashid S, Jin Y, Ecoiffier T, et al. Topical omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids for treatment of dry eye. Arch Ophthalmol 2008;126(2):219-25.
Editor's Note: For some excellent homeopathic eyedrops both for men and women for dry eyes, see to the Complementary Care section for Dry Eyes.
Cause of Myopia - Myopia Prevention
Close reading for prolonged periods, or computer work, increases the risk or is a cause of myopia in a children. Myopia is rare among indigenous illiterate populations who do not spend time reading. Contrary to popular belief, people in east Asia are no more genetically susceptible to eye myopia than any other population group.
There is little doubt about at least one underlying cause of myopia. Children now spend much of their time focusing on close objects, such as books and computers. To compensate the eyeball is thought to grow longer. That way less effort is needed to focus up close, but the elongated eye can no longer focus on distant objects.
Children who are breastfed are less likely to have myopia. Therefore, formula feeding could be considered a cause of myopia. Docosahexaenoic acid or DHA, a substance found in breast milk, could be the main element that improves early visual development in babies, resulting in more ordered eyeball growth which then reduces the development or severity of myopia. Myopia is the most common eye problem. It affects up to 40 percent of the population in the United States and Europe and between 70 and 90 percent of some Asian populations such as Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong.
DHA is important for the development of photoreceptor cells in the retina, which play a major role in whether or not children become short sighted. Researchers studied 797 children aged between 10 to 12 years in Singapore as part of the survey. They were given medical tests and also had to answer a series of questions including the number of books they read per week. The study, led by the Singapore Eye Research Institute, found that the risk of myopia in a child who was breastfed is 0.6 times that of child that was not, even after taking other factors into account.
While genetic variation was seen to be the culprit of myopia among children, soaring rates of the condition have led more researchers to believe it is the rise in watching television, playing computers games and reading that is to blame.
Health-protecting diet from the Mediterranean Reduces Risk of Cancer By 22%
Adopting elements of a Mediterranean-style diet, which is high in fruit and vegetables and low on red meat and dairy produce, can reduce the risk of cancer by almost a quarter, according to a major study of people's eating habits.
New research study shows that just two elements of the Mediterranean diet added to daily food intake can cut the possibility of cancer taking hold by 12 per cent. Increase that to six items a day and the prospect of the disease being diagnosed falls by a staggering 22 per cent. Adding two elements to the daily diet could simply be eating more legumes and consuming less red meat.
The study, published in the Journal of Cancer, monitored the prevalence of all types of cancer from stomach and bowel to liver, cervix and brain tumours. They looked at men and women, and took into account other risk factors, such as smoking and lifestyle.
The nine food groups measured were monosaturated and saturated fats, fruits, vegetables, legumes such as peas and lentils, cereals such as wholegrain bread and pasta, meat, dairy food, fish and alcohol.
"The researchers found that people who more closely followed a traditional Mediterranean diet had a lower incidence of cancer. Importantly, lower risk wasn't only seen by completely adopting the traditional Mediterranean diet, closer conformity also reduced cancer risk. And the more changes, the bigger the effect," said a spokeswoman for Cancer Research UK, which helped to fund the work.
The researchers broke the diet down into nine food groups:
- High Consumption: Fruit, vegetables, legumes (peas beans lentils), cereals (wholegrain bread), monounsaturated fat
(olive oil), fish
- Moderate Consumpution: Ethanol (red wine)
- Low Consumption: meat, dairy products
The research is part of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer, a unique and ongoing look at dietary habits and other biological and lifestyle characteristics of more than half a million people across Europe before they were diagnosed with cancer or other chronic illnesses, and has been published in the Journal of Cancer
Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Brain Function
In the July, 2008 issue of the journal Nature Reviews Neuroscience, UCLA professor of neurosurgery and physiological science Fernando Gómez-Pinilla summarizes the latest findings concerning the effects of various foods on the brain, noting that some foods have a drug-like effect. "Food is like a pharmaceutical compound that affects the brain," Dr Gómez-Pinilla stated.
In an analysis of over 160 studies, omega-3 fatty acids (EPA, DHA, and ALA) emerged as significant dietary compounds to enhance learning and memory, and prevent mental disorders. "Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for normal brain function," Dr Gómez-Pinilla observed. "Dietary deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids in humans has been associated with increased risk of several mental disorders, including attention-deficit disorder, dyslexia, dementia, depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. A deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids in rodents results in impaired learning and memory."
Editor's Note: The number of studies demonstrating the benefits of supplementing with omega-3 fatty acids for heart,
eye and brain health is overwhelming. This essential nutrient should be recommended as a supplement for the
vast majority of the population over 40 by doctors. We recommend Carlsons Fish Oil as one of the high quality fish oils available.
Green tea improves endothelial function and reduces heart attacks and strokes
The June, 2008 issue of the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation published the results of a trial led by Dr Nikolaos Alexopoulos and colleagues at the Athens Medical School in Greece which found that drinking green tea improved endothelial function in men and women. Dysfunction of the endothelial cells which line the circulatory system is a critical event in the development of atherosclerosis, which leads to heart attack and stroke.
The current study tested the effects of three substances: 6 grams of green tea brewed in 450 milliliters boiled water, 125 milligrams caffeine, and hot water as a placebo, in 14 healthy participants with an average age of 30 years. Half of the subjects were smokers. Flow mediated dilatation of the brachial artery, which evaluates endothelial function by measuring artery diameter after a brief period of restricted blood flow, was assessed before the intake of each substance, and at 30, 90 and 120 minutes (time points when the peak plasma concentration of caffeine and tea flavonoids occur), for each of the three sessions.
While caffeine and hot water failed to demonstrate significant effects, there was a peak increase of 3.9 percent in endothelium-dependent
brachial artery dilatation 30 minutes after the subjects consumed green tea. The finding supports the associated observed between
green tea drinking and decreased cardiovascular disease risk. Tea flavonoids have antioxidant effects which may be responsible for
their benefits; however green tea’s flavonoids may be more potent than those of black tea because the leaves have not undergone oxidation.
More on this article from Life Extension Foundation at www.lef.org
Another Reason to Get Omega-3s During Pregnancy
It is well known that folic acid may help prevent birth defects if taken during pregnancy, and more evidence emerges all the time about the role of other nutrients, such as essential fatty acids from fish and other sources. Prior studies have shown that children who don’t get enough fatty acids in early childhood may have impaired vision and brain functioning and recent studies suggest that essential fatty acids taken by a mother in pregnancy support a developing child’s brain and central nervous system. Most recently, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports that pregnant women who supplement with an omega-3 fatty acid have babies with sharper vision.
The current study sought to determine if supplementing with the omega-3 fatty acid DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) among pregnant women could improve their infants’ development. Among 135 women, 14 to 16 weeks into their pregnancy, half were randomly assigned to take 400 mg per day of supplemental DHA—the equivalent of eating about one pound of fatty fish such as salmon per week—or placebo.
All women continued their usual diet, which provided 10 to 760 mg of DHA per day. Compared to baby girls from the placebo group, babies whose mothers supplemented with DHA had significantly higher visual acuity scores 60 days after birth.
The International Society for the Study of Lipids and Fatty Acids recommends that all women consume 300 mg per day of DHA. The study’s authors determined that a DHA supplement of 400 mg per day should result in a low risk for DHA deficiency, although the optimal daily dosage is still not known.
By Jane Hart, MD - Healthnotes Newswire (June 26, 2008) - http://www.emersonecologics.com/Newswire.asp?id=1293
Editor's Note: We recommend Carlsons Fish Oil for its quality and purity.
Common Commercial Sunscreens May Be Hazardous to Your Health
A consumer advocacy group has a warning for parents who think they're protecting their family with sunscreen: You may be getting burned.
The Environmental Working Group, a Washington-based nonprofit, has released an investigation of nearly 1,000 brand-name sunscreens that says four out of five don't adequately protect consumers and may contain harmful chemicals.
The group says that some of the products of the nation's leading brands -- including Coppertone, Neutrogena and Banana Boat -- are the poorest performers.
Some of the common chemicals used that may be harmful include the following: Octinoxate (Octyl Methoxycinnamate), Oxybenzone (Benzophenone-3), Octisalate, Avobenzone (Parsol 1789), Octocrylene, Homosalate, Micronized Titanium Dioxide, Micronized Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide, Ensulizole (Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid), Nano Zinc Oxide, Padimate O (Octyl Dimethyl PABA / PABA Ester), Menthyl Anthranilate, Mexoryl SX, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol, ulisobenzone (Benzophenone-4), Benzophenone-2.
For more information on the above, go to http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/
archive/2008/07/01/four-out-of-five-sunscreens-may-be-hazardous-to-your-health.aspx?source=nl
Berry Good Waffles
With berries or without, these waffles are easy to make and simply delicious. Serve with maple syrup or hot Strawberry Sauce for a divine breakfast.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings 4 waffles (about 4-inches)]
2 eggs
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups apple juice
1/3 cup canola oil
4 tablespoons vanilla
1 cup blueberries or thinly sliced strawberries
1 tablespoon honey, optional
- Preheat the waffle iron.
- Break the eggs into a large mixing bowl, and beat with a fork or whisk until smooth. Stir in flour, baking powder, sea salt, apple juice, canola oil, vanilla, berries, and honey if using.
- If the waffle iron does not have a nonstick surface, brush it with oil. Ladle enough batter to cover the bottom surface of the iron and cook until golden brown. 5. Serve hot with your favorite topping: maple syrup, yogurt, or fruit sauce.
For a Change . . .
- For chocolate chip waffles, substitute 1 cup dark, milk, or white chocolate chips for the berries.
- For carob chip waffles, substitute 1 cup carob chips for the berries.
- Add 2-4 more eggs to increase the protein.
Health and Peace
Marc Grossman, O.D., L.Ac.
Michael Edson, MS, L.Ac.
visionworksusa@earthlink.net
www.naturaleyecare.com
(845) 255-8222
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