Sugar Relieves Stress, But Amplifies Health Problems

A small U.S. clinical study that tested the impact of beverage sweeteners on the brain found that sugar – but not aspartame – relieves emotional stress. The study involved 19 young adult women whose brain responses were monitored during math tests. Before the tests, women drank beverages sweetened with sugar or aspartame. The response of the hormone cortisol was inhibited in the brains of study participants who drank sugar-sweetened beverages. The sugar actually relieved stress. The problem, researchers said, is that this can lead to increased reliance on sugary drinks and foods at emotionally stressful times, amplifying serious health problems such as obesity.

"Excessive Sugar Consumption May Be a Difficult Habit to Break: A View From the Brain and Body. ", The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, April 24, 2015

Eight Nutrients That Can Keep The Aging Brain In Tip-Top Shape

A cognitive specialist has compiled a list of eight nutrients that, according to published studies, protect the brain from the damaging effects of aging. At the top of the list are cocoa flavanols. Research has shown that they not only improve circulation and heart health, they also seem to benefit the dentate gyrus, a part of the brain associated with age-related memory. A mouse study showed that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplements result in better object recognition memory, and spatial and localizatory memory that recalls facts and knowledge. Other brain-boosting nutrients and foods included phosphatidylserine and phosphatidic acid, walnuts, citicoline, choline, magnesium and blueberries.

"Protecting the Aging Brain", Food Technology, April 24, 2015

Most Studies On Weight-Loss Programs Are Useless – Just Like The Programs

Most commercial weight-loss programs aren’t all they’re cracked up to be, and neither are the studies purportedly proving their effectiveness, according to a U.S. review. The researchers culled just 39 valid clinical trials covering 11 programs – of 32 commercial programs on the market – from 4,200 studies. The worthwhile studies tested Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, NutriSystem, HMR, Medifast, OPTIFAST, Atkins, SlimFast, the Internet-based Biggest Loser Club, eDiets and Lose It!. “Gold-standard” data on Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig showed that participants, on average, lost more weight after one year than people on self-directed diets, or people who simply read health information or received other forms of education and counseling.

"Efficacy of Commercial Weight-Loss Programs. ", Annals of Internal Medicine, April 23, 2015

Overdoing Supplement Dosages Increases Cancer Risk

An American researcher who has spent 20 years studying the impact of diet and dietary supplements on cancer has concluded that taking larger than recommended dosages of supplements to prevent cancer actually  increases the risk of cancer. In one study, data showed that taking high levels of beta-carotene increased the risk of lung cancer and heart disease by 20 percent. Another study found that taking too much folic acid increases the number of colorectal polyps rather than reduces them. The bottom line, researchers say, is that people should get their vitamins and other nutrients from fresh foods, though proper dosages of supplements are generally safe.

"Dietary supplements shown to increase cancer risk", Blog entry, research presented at the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting, April 20, 2015

Analysis Of Food Buying In G8 Countries Finds Some Major Differences

Euromonitor has developed a nutritional data gathering system that compares consumer eating patterns – including calories and micronutrients -- in the G8 countries, finding some “striking” differences. Italians, for example, buy eight times more pasta per capita than Americans, with eight times more calories (199 a day) coming from pasta than the average U.S. consumer (12 times the average Japanese). Yet only 11 percent of Italians are considered obese. When it comes to buying packaged foods, Germany ranks No. 1 at 1733 calories per person per day, followed by France, the U.K., Italy and the U.S. Only three percent of the total population of Japan are considered obese, compared to 42 percent in the U.S. With these findings in mind, Euromonitor says it might be time to take a closer look at the benefits of the “Washoku” diet, based on traditional Japanese cuisine. 

"Washoku vs Mediterranean diet: Italians do it well, but Japanese do it even better", Euromonitor International, April 11, 2015

Effect Of Cheese On Gut Microbes May Account For “French Paradox”

Danish researchers say cheese metabolism – not red wine -- is the real reason for the "paradox” of low heart disease rates in France despite a high-fat diet. The researchers looked at urine and fecal samples from 15 healthy men who ate either cheese or milk, or ate butter but no other dairy products. Those who ate cheese had more gut microbiota-related metabolites like butyrate, hippurate, and malonate in their feces. Elevated butyrate levels are linked to reduced cholesterol levels. The researchers concluded that microbial and lipid metabolism “could be involved in the dairy-induced effects on blood cholesterol level” that lead to the “French paradox.”

"Metabolomics Investigation To Shed Light on Cheese as a Possible Piece in the French Paradox Puzzle", Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, April 08, 2015