Dr. John's Health Matters
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Posts tagged "protein"
Wednesday, Sep 2nd, 2009 ↓High-Carb, High-Fat Diets Better for Cognitive Performance →
September 1, 2009 (Medscape.com) — Diets high in carbohydrates or fat can lead to significantly better cognitive-performance and inflight-testing scores in pilots than diets high in protein, according to results reported in a poster presentation at the Military Health Research Forum (MHRF) 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri.
In addition, a high-carbohydrate diet helped study pilots sleep better, and a high-fat diet appeared to lead to significantly faster short-term memory.
“We started out thinking that the high-protein diet would lead to being the sharpest afterward,” said colead investigator Glenda Lindseth, RN, PhD, licensed registered dietician and professor of nursing at the University of North Dakota (UND) in Grand Forks. “But we were surprised by our findings that it was actually the high-carb or high-fat diets that were the best. Eating a diet that’s high in protein just isn’t going to help you perform optimally.”
“As a retired air-force pilot and a pilot for over 30 years, I believe this type of study is definitely needed,” said the other colead author, Paul Lindseth, PhD, professor of aviation and associate dean at the UND Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences. “This is important for pilots in the military and in combat situations, where they need to be sharp and alert.”
For full medical article, see link above.
Tags: high carb carbohydrate fat protein macronutrient diet nutrition cognitive performance testing score sleep short term memory performance alertness
Wild lupins’ protein could rival soy, say Spanish researchers →
Aug 31, 2009 (Foodnavigator.com)—Wild varieties of lupin seeds could be tapped for their high quality protein content, report researchers in Spain, and could reduce the need to import soybean to Europe from places such as the US, Brazil and China.
Lupin, or lupinus, is an ancient legume cultivated in the Mediterranean and the South American Andes. Amongst the major cultivated species are Lupin albus (white lupin), L. mutabilis (pearl lupin) and L, angustifolius (blue lupin). One of the major uses of lupin seeds is in animal feed, but they can be eaten by humans if the bitterness is removed.
Lupin seed flours can also be used for making protein isolates; and a lupin seed derived ingredient from German firm Hochdorf is geared to the soy-free and lactose-free markets, as well as fat replacement for meat and bakery products.
While cultivated lupins have been seen to have a nutritional value comparable to soy beans – but suitable for quite different climates and soils – areas under cultivation have decreased in the last century, Javier Vioque of the Instituto de la Grasa in Seville and colleagues report.
They set out to evaluate the nutritional characteristics of seed proteins from six lupin species that grow in Southern Spain: L. angustifolius, L. consentinii, L. gredensis, L. luteus and L. micranthus. The seeds were collected from wild populations.
For full article, see link above.
Whey Protein Improves Heart Health →
Aug 31, 2009 (Mercola.com)—A whey-protein-rich ingredient may improve blood vessel function in healthy individuals, reports a new randomized, double-blind study.
Two weeks of supplementation resulted in a 1.5 percent improvement in blood flow. According to the researchers, the whey protein-derived ingredient may work via an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory activity.
ACE inhibitors work by inhibiting the conversion of angiotensin I to the potent vasoconstrictor, angiotensin II, thereby improving blood flow and blood pressure.
Sources:
NutraIngredients August 5, 2009Nutrition Journal July 22, 2009; 8:34 [Free Full-Text Article]
Tags: whey protein heart cardiovascular blood vessel supplement angiotensin vascoconstrictor flow
Wheat Consumption May Contribute to Diabetes →
Aug 26, 2009 (Therapytimes.com)—An abnormal immune response to wheat proteins may contribute to type 1 diabetes, Canadian researchers say.
Their study of 42 people with type 1 diabetes found that nearly half had immune system T-cells that overreacted to wheat. The researchers also identified genes associated with this abnormal immune response.
“The immune system has to find the perfect balance to defend the body against foreign invaders without hurting itself or overreacting to the environment, and this can be particularly challenging in the gut, where there is an abundance of food and bacteria,” study author Dr. Fraser Scott, a senior scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and professor of medicine at the University of Ottawa, said in a hospital news release.
“Our research suggests that people with certain genes may be more likely to develop an overreaction to wheat and possibly other foods in the gut, and this may tip the balance with the immune system and make the body more likely to develop other immune problems, such as type 1 diabetes,” he explained.
The study appears in the August issue of Diabetes.
“These observations add to the accumulating evidence that the gut is an active player in the diabetes disease process,” Dr. Mikael Knip of Finland wrote in an accompanying editorial.
— Robert Preidt
Low-carb Diets Linked To Atherosclerosis And Impaired Blood Vessel Growth →
Aug 25, 2009 (Sciencedaily.com)—Even as low-carbohydrate/high-protein diets have proven successful at helping individuals rapidly lose weight, little is known about the diets’ long-term effects on vascular health.
Now, a study led by a scientific team at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) provides some of the first data on this subject, demonstrating that mice placed on a 12-week low carbohydrate/high-protein diet showed a significant increase in atherosclerosis, a buildup of plaque in the heart’s arteries and a leading cause of heart attack and stroke. The findings also showed that the diet led to an impaired ability to form new blood vessels in tissues deprived of blood flow, as might occur during a heart attack.
Described in the online version of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the study also found that standard markers of cardiovascular risk, including cholesterol, were not changed in the animals fed the low-carb diet, despite the clear evidence of increased vascular disease.
“It’s very difficult to know in clinical studies how diets affect vascular health,” says senior author Anthony Rosenzweig, MD, Director of Cardiovascular Research in BIDMC’s CardioVascular Institute and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. “We, therefore, tend to rely on easily measured serum markers [such as cholesterol], which have been surprisingly reassuring in individuals on low-carbohydrate/high-protein diets, who do typically lose weight. But our research suggests that, at least in animals, these diets could be having adverse cardiovascular effects that are not reflected in simple serum markers.”
For full article, see link above.
Tags: cardiovascualr diet long term weight loss carbohydrate high protein atherosclerosis blood vessel cholesterol disease
Whey protein may improve heart health: Study →
Aug 5, 2009 (Sciencedaily.com)—A whey-protein-rich ingredient may improve blood vessel function in healthy individuals, reports a new randomised, double-blind study supported by Glanbia.
Two weeks of supplementation with a proprietary peptide (NOP847, Glanbia Nutritionals) resulted in a 1.5 per cent improvement in blood flow, report researchers from the University of Connecticut in the open access Nutrition Journal.
According to the researchers, the whey protein-derived ingredient, isolated from hydrolysate, may work via an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory activity.
ACE inhibitors work by inhibiting the conversion of angiotensin I to the potent vasoconstrictor, angiotensin II, thereby improving blood flow and blood pressure.
“The results of this preliminary study suggest that in individuals with normal endothelial function, the acute ingestion of a peptide derived from whey improves both conduit and resistance vascular responses,” wrote the authors, led by Kevin Ballard.
If further studies support the vascular benefits of the ingredient, it could see it enter the already buoyant heart health market. According to a recent market research conducted by Frost & Sullivan, the market is dominated by four ingredients: phytosterols; omega-3s; beta-glucans and soy protein.
For full article see link above.
Tags: whey protein heart supplement blood vessel function flow ace inhibitor blood pressure prevention endothelial cardiovascular
Diet Restrictions Provide No Help for Autism →
July 28, 2009 (Therapytimes.com)—Children with autism do not have a higher incidence of gastrointestinal problems than other children, a new study has found.
However, autistic children do have a higher rate of constipation and eating issues, such as eating the same foods over and over, according to the study. But any number of factors, including medication, could cause these issues, the researchers said.
The findings appear in the August issue of Pediatrics.
Dr. Patricia Manning-Courtney, medical director of the Kelly O’Leary Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, said that the study is an important one because it was the first to scientifically compare the incidence of gastrointestinal (GI) problems in an autistic population with incidence in children who are developing normally.
Even so, it’s unlikely to quell a controversy that has been raging for more than a decade.
“A couple of highly publicized cases of autism and loose stools in the late 1990s led to an impression that children with autism had a higher rate of GI dysfunction,” she said. “It wasn’t well characterized, but that got the story onto the national scene.”
For full article see link above.
Tags: diet restriction autism food digestion gastrointestional dysfunction gluten milk protein casein hormone secretin diarrhea bloating reflux vomiting fiber constipation appetite
Why is Wheat Gluten Disorder on the Rise? →
July 24, 2009 (Sciencedaily.com)—A study using frozen blood samples taken from Air Force recruits 50 years ago has found that intolerance of wheat gluten, a debilitating digestive condition, is four times more common today than it was in the 1950’s.
The findings contradict the conventional wisdom that the sharp increase in diagnoses of wheat gluten intolerance has come about because of greater awareness and detection. It now seems likely that dramatic changes in the American diet have played a role.
The disease occurs in people whose bodies cannot digest gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. The undigested protein triggers the immune system to attack the lining of the small intestine, causing diarrhea, nausea and abdominal pain.
The researchers who conducted the study also found that the recruits who had the undiagnosed digestive disorder, called celiac disease, had a four-fold increase in their risk of death.
Sources:
Minneapolis Star Tribune July 1, 2009Tags: wheat gluten disorder intolerance digestion diet nutrition rye barley protein immune system small intestine diarrhea nausea abdominal pain celiac
Proven: Eating Red Meat Raises Death Risk from Cancer and Other Diseases →
July 24, 2009 (Naturalnews.com)—A diet high in red or processed meats significantly raises a person’s risk of early death, particularly from cancer and heart disease, according to a study conducted by researchers from the U.S. National Cancer Institute and published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
“The need is for a major reduction in total meat intake, an even larger reduction in processed meat and other highly processed and salted animal source food products, and a reduction in total saturated fat,” wrote Barry Popkin of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, in an accompanying article.
The researchers reviewed dietary and mortality data for more than 500,000 people over a 10-year time period. They found that those with the highest intake of red or processed meat had a significantly higher risk of death from all causes than those who ate the lowest amount. The greatest risk increase was seen for death from heart disease or cancer.
Those who got most of their meat intake from white meats had a significantly lower risk of death than those who ate a higher proportion of red meat.
For full article see link above.
Tags: red meat white chicken pork beef cancer risk death heart disease prevention animal protein saturated fat lifespan
Are We What Our Mothers Ate? →
July 21, 2009 (Sciencedaily.com)—Mothers’ health in the days and weeks prior to becoming pregnant may determine the health of offspring much later in life, according to results of studies reported at the annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Reproduction, which takes place July 18 to 22 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh. These studies demonstrate that maternal nutrition, protein intake and level of fat in the diet may cause epigenetic changes in the developing fetus that can have long-term health consequences.
Too Much of a Sweet Thing? Maternal Diabetes and Embryo Development
The time between ovulation and conception may be a critical one for maternal and fetal health, according to Kelle Moley, M.D., Washington University School of Medicine. In mouse studies, she found that subtle differences in maternal metabolism had long-lasting effects. Indeed, when Dr. Moley transferred embryos from a diabetic mouse into a non-diabetic mouse shortly after egg implantation, she noted neural tube defects, heart defects, limb deformities and growth defects in offspring. These findings indicate that we may need to re-direct our ideas about maternal health to the time prior to pregnancy, she says.
For full article see link above.
Tags: diet nutrition pregnancy mother infant baby protein fat diabetes embryo development growth defect
Meatless Foods Not Always Full of Veggies - Healthy Recipes, Nutrition and Cooking Tips to Improve Health or Lose Weight on MedicineNet.com →
July 8, 2009 (HealthDay News) — Not all vegetarian burgers and hot dogs are alike. It seems that some, in fact, may not offer much at all in the way of vegetables.
“Arguably, if food doesn’t taste good, people are less likely to eat it even if it does wear an impressive nutrition label,” registered dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, said in a news release from the organization. “While some veggie burgers are meant to look and taste ‘like meat,’ many popular brands have visible chunks of vegetables, such as mushrooms, carrots and peppers, suggesting that satisfying meatless fare may not depend entirely on a successful imitation.”
So before tossing some on the grill this summer, the association advises, read the labels and know the facts:
- Veggie burgers with 10 grams of protein or less tend to contain more vegetables and whole grains than those with more protein, which often are made of mostly soy protein and wheat gluten.
- Nutritionally speaking, veggie hot dogs tend to have many advantages over traditional frankfurters, such as fewer calories, less fat, less sodium and more protein.
- Though veggie burgers contain far less fat and more fiber than beef or turkey burgers, they tend to contain much more sodium — an average of 350 milligrams, or 15% of the recommended daily amount.
- Just because a brand is vegan-friendly (meaning it’s made without such animal products as eggs and cheese), it doesn’t necessarily contain more vegetables.
- Meatless burgers and hot dogs can be bad for people with certain food allergies. Most contain soy and wheat, and many others contain eggs, dairy and nuts.
- Some meatless burgers or hot dogs tend to fall apart on the grill so use cooking spray on them and cook over low-medium heat but not over a direct flame, which could dry them out. Baking or broiling in an oven or toaster oven, microwaving or heating in a skillet might prove better cooking options with some brands of meatless burgers and hot dogs.
— Kevin McKeever
Tags: vegetable vegetarian vegan nutrition diet soy gluten sodium calories burger fat protein carbohydrate fiber
Critical Link Between Obesity And Diabetes Discovered →
July 9, 2009 (Sciencedaily.com)—A Monash University study has proven a critical link between obesity and the onset of Type 2 diabetes, a discovery which could lead to the design of a drug to prevent the disease.
The findings were published July 8 in the journal Cell Metabolism.
The team, led by Associate Professor Matthew Watt, discovered that fat cells release a novel protein called PEDF (pigment epithelium-derived factor), which triggers a chain of events and interactions that lead to development of Type 2 diabetes.
“When PEDF is released into the bloodstream, it causes the muscle and liver to become desensitised to insulin. The pancreas then produces more insulin to counteract these negative effects, ” Associate Professor Watt said.
This insulin release causes the pancreas to become overworked, eventually slowing or stopping insulin release from the pancreas, leading to Type 2 diabetes.”
“It appears that the more fat tissue a person has the less sensitive they become to insulin. Therefore a greater amount of insulin is required to maintain the body’s regulation of blood-glucose,” Associate Professor Watt said.
“Our research was able to show that increasing PEDF not only causes Type 2 diabetes like complications but that blocking PEDF reverses these effects. The body again returned to being insulin-sensitive and therefore did not need excess insulin to remain regulated.”
For full article see link above.
Tags: obesity fat tissue insulin diabetes type 2 prevention PEDF protein trigger development pancreas liver desensitised overweight
Study Links a Protein With Diabetes Risk →
July 8, 2009 (Medscape.com)—Higher levels of a protein made by fat cells is linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.
A new review of research shows people with higher levels of the protein adiponectin consistently have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Adiponectin is a protein produced by fat cells that has anti-inflammatory properties. It also makes the body more sensitive to insulin. Reduced insulin sensitivity is a key factor in the development of type 2 diabetes.
Researchers say the finding may help explain why obesity alone does not completely explain diabetes risk. The results are also in line with previous research that showed obese mice with high adiponectin levels were more sensitive to insulin than other obese mice and had lower odds of developing type 2 diabetes.
Adiponectin levels can be increased through medication and lifestyle interventions. Researchers say targeting people with low adiponectin levels may help stem the current epidemic of type 2 diabetes in the U.S. and other countries.
For full medical article see link above.
CRP levels predict heart disease? →
July 2, 2009 (presstv.com)—While high levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) were long linked to cardiovascular diseases, a new study has rejected such an association.
Previous studies had reported high blood levels of CRP in individuals suffering from heart disease, indicating that the protein is released in the inflammatory process by which the immune system defends the body against disease or infection.
Physicians checked the blood levels of CRP while testing their patients for high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking and high cholesterol levels as the risk factors of cardiac disease.
For full article see link above.
Tags: heart circulatory blood CRP protein disease inflammatory immunity infection diabetes smoking risk
Natural Aromatase Inhibitors are Best Prevention of Breast Cancer in Postmenopausal Women →
June 29, 2009 (Naturalnews.com)—One of the answers to breast cancer prevention has been right under our noses all along. When diets high in natural foods that inhibit the aromatase enzyme are eaten, breast cancers in postmenopausal women don’t get a chance to start, according to research from the University of Munster in Germany. Scientists there have found that aromatase inhibitors are what keep normal cells from developing to the point where they can be classified as Grade 1 cancer.
Estrogen receptors (ER) alpha and beta are proteins found inside certain healthy cells of breast tissue. Estrogen binds with these receptors to stimulate tissue growth in young women during normal breast development. As women age these receptors play an important role in the development of breast cancer because they can continue to bind with excessive estrogen produced in breast tissue through the aromatization process, even after the ovaries no longer produce much estrogen. This can lead to the rapid growth and proliferation of mutated breast cells. If the process of aromatization is inhibited, excess estrogen will not be present in breast tissue to stimulate the growth of a cancer.
For full article see link above.
