Tag Archive: Heart

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Benefits of nut consumption for people with abdominal obesity, high blood sugar, high blood pressure

December 12th, 2011 / tags:, , , , , , , / categories: Uncategorized /

ScienceDaily (Nov. 2, 2011) — For the first time, scientists report a link between eating nuts and higher levels of serotonin in the bodies of patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS), who are at high risk for heart disease. Serotonin is a substance that helps transmit nerve signals and decreases feelings of hunger, makes people feel happier and improves heart health. It took only one ounce of mixed nuts (raw unpeeled walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts) a day to produce the good effects.

The report appears in ACS’ Journal of Proteome Research.

Cristina Andrés-Lacueva and colleagues from the Biomarkers NutriMetabolomics Research Group of the University of Barcelona in collaboration with the Human Nutrition Unit of the Rovira i Virgili University explain that the rise in obesity around the world means more and more patients have MetS. Symptoms include excess abdominal fat, high blood sugar and high blood pressure, which increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Dietary changes may help patients shed the excess weight and become healthier, among the changes, the regular consumption of nuts — which are jam-packed with healthful nutrients, such as healthy fats (unsaturated fatty acids) and antioxidants (polyphenols) — have been recommended to fight the metabolic abnormalities associated with MetS. To check the biochemical effects of nut consumption, the researchers put 22 MetS patients on a nut-enriched diet for 12 weeks and compared them to another group of 20 patients who were told to avoid nuts.

The scientists analyzed the broad spectrum of compounds excreted in the patients’ urine and found evidence of several healthful changes. One surprise was evidence that nut consumption had boosted patients’ levels of serotonin metabolites in urine, since these findings suggest the role of serotonin in the beneficial effects of nuts. They point out that the study provides the first evidence in humans of the beneficial effects of nut consumption in reducing levels of substances in the body associated with inflammation and other cardiovascular risk factors in patients with metabolic syndrome.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American Chemical Society.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal Reference:

  1. Sara Tulipani, Rafael Llorach, Olga Jáuregui, Patricia López-Uriarte, Mar Garcia-Aloy, Mònica Bullo, Jordi Salas-Salvadó, Cristina Andrés-Lacueva. Metabolomics Unveils Urinary Changes in Subjects with Metabolic Syndrome following 12-Week Nut Consumption. Journal of Proteome Research, 2011; : 110929134856005 DOI: 10.1021/pr200514h

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Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Article source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111102125348.htm

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Thousands of lives could be saved if rest of UK adopted average diet in England, study concludes

December 11th, 2011 / tags:, , , , , , , , , / categories: Uncategorized /

ScienceDaily (Nov. 3, 2011) — Around 4,000 deaths could be prevented every year if the UK population adopted the average diet eaten in England, concludes research published in BMJ Open.

Death rates for cardiovascular disease and cancer are higher in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland than they are in England, and it is well known that these diseases are associated with a poor diet that is high in saturated fats and salt and low in fibre, fruits and vegetables.

The researchers therefore looked at mortality data for coronary heart disease, stroke, and 10 cancers associated with diet, including those of the gullet, bowel, and stomach, in all four UK countries for the years 2007 to 2009 inclusive.

And they estimated average intake of 10 dietary components, including energy intake, in each of the four countries, drawn from national representative data from the Family Food Survey for the same period.

These data showed that people in Scotland and Northern Ireland consistently ate more saturated fat and salt and fewer fruits and vegetables every day than their English cousins, while the differences between Wales and England were less consistent over the three years.

The authors then calculated what differences in death rates could be expected from population changes in average dietary quality, using the DIETRON model — a conceptual mathematical model that calculates the impact of food consumption on health outcomes.

Between 2007 and 2009, just under 22,000 more people died in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland from cardiovascular disease and diet related cancers than would be expected if mortality rates were as low as in England, with most of the difference (mortality gap) accounted for by deaths in Scotland.

The application of the DIETRON model showed that more than 6,000 deaths over the three years could have been prevented or delayed in Scotland — equivalent to 40% of the mortality gap between England and Scotland — if the population had eaten the average diet in England.

The reduction in the mortality gap was even greater for Wales and Northern Ireland, at 81%. This suggests that other non-dietary risk factors contribute to the mortality gap in Scotland.

Deaths from coronary heart disease accounted for the largest proportion of the mortality gap for all three countries.

In all, more than 11,000 deaths could have been prevented or delayed — around half of the excess deaths from cardiovascular disease and diet related cancers — the calculations showed. Differences in total energy intake and fruit and vegetable consumption accounted for most of the variation in death rates.

The authors acknowledge that diet alone cannot close the mortality gap completely, and that the impact of other behavioural risk factors, such as smoking, alcohol, and lack of exercise, also need to be taken into account.

But they conclude: “Diet has a substantial impact on geographical variations in mortality from coronary heart disease, stroke and various cancers within the UK.”

And they suggest that “fat taxes” which have been mooted as a way of nudging people into healthier behaviours, might only work if they are paired with subsidies for fruit and vegetables.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by BMJ Open.

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Journal Reference:

  1. Peter Scarborough, Robert David Morgan, Premila Webster, Mike Rayner. Differences in coronary heart disease, stroke and cancer mortality rates between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland: the role of diet and nutrition. BMJ Open, 2011; 2: e000263 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2011-000263

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Article source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111103081438.htm

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More fiber, but not necessarily less fat, good for teen diets

December 8th, 2011 / tags:, , , , , , , , , , / categories: Uncategorized /

ScienceDaily (Nov. 10, 2011) — A diet high in fiber — but not necessarily one low in saturated fat or cholesterol — is tied to a lower risk of heart disease and type-2 diabetes in teenagers, according to new findings from Michigan State University.

A study led by Joseph Carlson of MSU’s Division of Sports and Cardiovascular Nutrition suggests to reduce metabolic syndrome — a collection of risk factors including high blood pressure and a large waistline — it is more important to emphasize diets including fiber-rich, nutrient-dense, plant-based foods than focus on restricting foods high in cholesterol or saturated fat.

The research is published in Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

“What we found is that as fiber intake increases, the risk for metabolic syndrome decreases,” said Carlson, a registered dietitian and associate professor at MSU. “High-fiber, nutrient-dense foods are packed with heart healthy vitamins, minerals and chemicals that can positively affect many cardiovascular risk factors.

“It may be better to focus on including these foods than to focus, as is commonly done, on excluding foods high in saturated fat.”

That does not mean, however, that teens should have carte blanche in eating foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol, Carlson said.

“It is well established that saturated fat can raise bad cholesterol,” he said. “What this data suggest is the importance of including foods high in dietary fiber.”

With the high availability of processed foods today, Carlson said, it is possible for teens to eat a diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol but that also is low in fiber and nutrient-rich, plant-based foods. Recent national data indicates up to 30 percent of teens’ dietary intake comes from beverages and sugar-rich snacks.

Due to low intakes of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans, the total dietary fiber intake in teens is about 13 grams per day, well below the recommendation of 26 grams and 38 grams for female and male adolescents, respectively.

In addition, obesity and other key risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome are on the rise in youth; more than 70 percent of teens in the study had at least one of the five risk factors used to assess metabolic syndrome: high blood pressure, high levels of sugar and fat in the blood, low levels of good cholesterol and a large waistline (a person having three or more of the factors are classified as having the syndrome).

“One of the takeaways is that our study reinforced the current dietary recommendations for dietary fiber intake by including a variety of plant-based foods,” Carlson said. “A strategy of emphasizing fiber-rich foods may improve adherence to dietary recommendations.”

The next step, he said, is to figure out the best methods to boost dietary fiber intakes to levels that will improve or sustain a desirable cardiovascular risk factor status. For example, if a person daily has three servings of fruit and vegetables (12 grams of fiber), one serving of beans (seven grams), and three servings of whole grain, they will be at about 30 grams of dietary fiber.

“The trick is getting people in the groove finding the foods that they both enjoy and are convenient,” Carlson said.

As part of the cross-sectional study, Carlson and his team focused on data collected as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey done from 1999-2002. They analyzed the diets of more than 2,100 boys and girls ages 12 to 19, looking at whether the teens had three or more conditions that make up metabolic syndrome.

The study found there was a three-fold increase in the number of children that had metabolic syndrome when the group of children receiving the least fiber was compared with the group receiving the most. There was not a significant relationship with either saturated fat or cholesterol intake.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Michigan State University.

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Journal Reference:

  1. Joseph J. Carlson, Joey C. Eisenmann, Gregory J. Norman, Karen A. Ortiz, Paul C. Young. Dietary Fiber and Nutrient Density Are Inversely Associated with the Metabolic Syndrome in US Adolescents. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 2011; 111 (11): 1688 DOI: 10.1016/j.jada.2011.08.008

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Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Article source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111110130001.htm

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