Research Review
Did you know?
(1) A grain of truth about health foods ….
In the battle to win your dollar, many food companies are now appealing more and more to your health.
It is a question about substituting some foods for others. It can be as easy as eating a piece of whole grain bread instead of white. Both are roughly the same in calories, the same in fat, but one is high in refined sugars and flour, whereas the other is naturally good for you, says Dr. Nadine Sahyoun, nutrition expert at the University of Maryland.
In a recent study, Sahyoun looked at whether whole grain foods could help older adults ward off the type of problems that lead to heart disease and diabetes. The elderly are more prone to insulin resistance and impaired blood sugar control, implying that carbohydrate-rich grains might do more harm than good.
But looking at 535 healthy seniors, the researchers found that getting more than three servings of whole grains a day was as good for them as it is for young and middle-aged adults. Compared to those who ate fewer whole grains, healthy eaters had lower rates of heart disease and the type of blood sugar problems that could raise the risk of diabetes.
The results, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, add to the growing benefits seen with whole grains. In contrast to refined grains, such as in white rice, research has shown that brown rice and other types of whole grains may indeed reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and various cancers.
References
Healthology, http://www.healthology.com/healthyaging & nutrition
N Sahyoun 2006. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Jan. 2006; Vol 83(1): 124-133
(2) Fruits and vegetables may not only be a good way to keep your body healthy, it can keep your brain going strong, too
Filling your plate with fruits and vegetables may not only be a good way to keep your body healthy, it can keep your brain going strong, too.
In yet another study uncovering the benefits of fruits and vegetables, researchers from Utah State University have found that elderly men and women who consume high amounts of these foods have better memories than those who skimp on the broccoli, spinach, apples and pears.
Dr Heidi Wengreen, a lead investigator of the study, said that this research is the first of its kind to look at diet as a means to prevent dementia. The findings were presented at the 2005 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference on Prevention of Dementia.
Wengreen says that for the study, researchers tested the memory of over 5,000 seniors up to four times over an eight-year period. At the beginning, the participants also answered questions about their eating habits. The group of seniors with the highest intake of fruits and vegetables (five or more servings a day) scored higher on the test than the rest of the participants. Moreover, those who nibbled on plenty of veggies and fruit were able to maintain their memory over time. It appears, thus, that higher intake of fruits and vegetables may protect against memory loss in older adults.
Previously, the same research group also found that taking daily vitamin E and C supplements can also cut the risk of Alzheimer’s. However, since the data was based on the dietary information given at the beginning of the study, Wengreen said that she is unable to say if the seniors who consumed a lot of fruits and vegetables continued to do so as the years passed. “The US guidelines recommend that adults eat five-and-a-half cups of fruits and vegetables every day, which is far from the amount that most American adults eat. Many people fall short of the current recommendations even though they know that it is good for them. Eating more fruits and vegetables in later years offers benefits to both body and mind”, (Wengreen 2005).
Reference: www.healthology.com.
(3) Orange, grapefruit juice for breakfast builds bones in rats
Orange and grapefruit juice regularly given to lab rats prevented osteoporosis, long considered an unavoidable ageing disease in which bones become more likely to break, according to a study of the Texas A & M University's Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Centre. The research was published in Elsevier's Nutrition Journal.
Osteoporosis affects about 2 million men and 8 million women in the United States, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation. Nationally, about 1.5 million hips, vertebras and wrists break each year as a result. It is a silent disease of ageing, but if we can maintain our bone strength, maybe we will be able to prevent it, says Dr Bhimu Patil, Director of the Centre.
For the study, 36 male rats were included for two months in the lab of Dr Farzad Deyhim, Professor of Human and Animal Nutrition at Texas A & M Kingsville. Half of the rats were a control group that continued life as usual. The others were castrated and then treated in one of three ways: no additional diet change; diet included orange juice or diet included grapefruit juice. According to the researchers, castration was necessary because the hormone testosterone is known to reduce antioxidants. This is a problem with ageing men, because the level of testosterone decreases as men age.
In this research study, fresh grapefruit or orange juice (mixed with sodium bicarbonate to neutralize acidity) was given to the rats each morning. The rats drank it with no problem. The juice was followed by a similar test with orange and grapefruit pulp, and although the results of that research have not yet been published, it too showed enhanced bone density. The research team will now examine the rats' bones at the cellular level "to see what caused that improvement in the bone." A reduction in bone density is caused when there is an increase in oxidants. In this study, both grapefruit juice and orange juice increased antioxidants in the rats' systems. So that is a benefit since oxidants damage bone cells.
A similar study has since been initiated on female rats.
Patil says “There are about 400 compounds in citrus. We need to find out which compound in citrus caused this beneficial change. We suspect that it is ‘limonoid’ — a natural citrus compound which has been increasingly studied for its potential to prevent various human diseases. Limonoids will be the next phase of the study, but there are at least 40 different ones. This study backs up our hypothesis on the value of citrus".
Nevertheless, until research completely understands the interaction of grapefruit juice and certain medications, it is generally advisable that people should eat a variety of all the colours in food to get all of the beneficial compounds, and of course eat fresh.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-cooking/QZ00068
Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=44661
Monika
Monika Bhatia
Project Manager and Editor, Quality4life
14 July 2006
