Author Archive
Tanning beds are cancer boxes
Hello teens and parents!
Conserve your money and your future health! Know that your skin color is a great reflection of the perfect you.
Here is a URL with evidence that should discourage anyone from using tanning beds.
http://www.dailyrx.com/skin-cancer-risk-increased-those-using-tanning-beds-especially-while-younger
Better Diabetes Self-Management With Cognitive Therapy
Optimal nutrition from fruits and vegetables
Food Labels often mislead
A dietary strategy to stabilize blood glucose levels for those with Type 2 Diabetes
Good news for men who eat soy
Good news for men who eat soy.
As always soy in your diet is the best way to get it!
http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ENDO/46461
Soy Okay in Diabetic Men with Low Testosterone
Published: Jun 23, 2014
CHICAGO — Soy supplements won’t send testosterone levels plummeting in men with type 2 diabetes who already have low levels of the hormone, researchers reported here.
Testosterone levels actually rose with supplementation with either a soy protein bar or a soy protein bar that also contained phytoestrogens, Thozhukat Sathyapalan, MBBS, MD, of Hull York Medical School in England, and colleagues reported at the joint meeting of the Endocrine Society and the International Congress on Endocrinology here.
Some possible benefits in metabolic parameters were also seen with the phytoestrogen-containing soy bars, the group indicated.
“There’s no concern that soy will effect testosterone,” Sathyapalan said. “In fact, it can maybe have a positive effect.”
Some researchers have expressed concerns that the phytoestrogens in soy have estrogen-mimicking effects that may affect testosterone levels — particularly in men who already have low testosterone. These phytoestrogens include genistein and daidzein.
To assess whether these phytoestrogens can impact testosterone levels in men with type 2 diabetes who have borderline low testosterone levels, Sathyapalan and colleagues assessed 210 men with the condition who were between the ages of 55 and 70 and whose testosterone levels were below 12 nmol/L.
They were randomized to a 30-g soy protein cereal bar that either contained phytoestrogens (66 mg) or no phytoestrogens, eating two a day for the three months of the study.
Overall they saw an increase in testosterone levels in both study arms: “We thought there would be a reduction in testosterone levels, but there was an increase in testosterone levels in both groups,” Sathyapalan said at a press briefing.
Mean levels rose from 9.8 to 11.3 nmol/L in the combination group and from 9.2 to 10.3 nmol/L in the soy alone group, his group reported. No changes in estrogen levels were seen in either group.
The researchers also found that those taking the phytoestrogen bar had additional benefits in terms of metabolic parameters and cardiovascular risk.
Specifically, that group showed a significant drop in mean fasting plasma glucose, from 142 mg/dL to 116 mg/dL, compared with a slight uptick from 141 mg/dL to 151 mg/dL in the soy-alone group, as well as a drop in HbA1c not seen with soy alone.
Patients assigned to the phytoestrogen-containing bar also had a significant improvement in insulin sensitivity, with HOMA-IR scores falling from 7.2 to 2.5 compared with a rise from 10.2 to 11.3 for those on soy alone.
The phytoestrogens group also had a decrease in triglycerides, C-reactive protein, and diastolic blood pressure that wasn’t seen in the soy-alone group.
Sathyapalan said the results weren’t surprising given the fact that soy has long been used as a medical food in diabetes. He concluded, however, that further studies are needed to determine the differing effects of soy protein alone and soy protein plus phytoestrogens.
He added that he and his colleagues have also investigated the differences between these two cereal bars in postmenopausal women, finding that both improve bone turnover markers which could have implications for osteoporosis.
Another study, however, showed that soy supplementation may have ties to hypothyroidism; further study is needed to definitively determine if that is the case.
The study was supported by the Food Standards Agency in the U.K.
Sathyapalan reported no relevant financial disclosures.
Source reference: Sathyapalan T, et al “The effect of soy phytoestrogens on cardiovascular risk markers in men with type 2 diabetes and subclinical hypogonadism — A randomized double blind parallel study” ICE/ENDO 2014; Abstract SAT-0367
Is it the Bean?
In our stressed out hyper-driven world of rising global incidence of diabetes, it is always good news to discover evidence that inescapable habits (also known as “well established neural circuits”) can be helpful!
In this case researchers studied over a million coffee drinkers and concluded: “This study provides strong evidence that regular consumption of coffee is beneficial for prevention of diabetes.”
Those who consumed one cup daily demonstrated the best preventative effect with gradual decrease in benefit as the number of cups increases.
Affirmation of the Taoist proverb:
“Everything in moderation, Nothing in excess” (with the possible exception of moderation……)
This article was downloaded from an open source: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/819816
Coffee, Even Decaf, Linked to Lower Type 2 Diabetes Risk
January 28, 2014
Coffee consumption is strongly associated with a reduced risk for type 2 diabetes, regardless of whether the coffee is caffeinated or not, according to a new meta-analysis of 28 prospective studies, published in the February issue of Diabetes Care.
“Compared with no coffee consumption…6 cups/day of coffee was associated with a 33% lower risk of type 2 diabetes,” the authors write, adding, “Caffeinated coffee and decaffeinated coffee consumption were both associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.”
Drinking coffee has been well-established in previous meta-analyses as being associated with a reduced risk for type 2 diabetes; however, the new review was needed to account for more recent trials evaluating the benefits of caffeinated vs decaffeinated coffee, the authors explain.
“We found that a 1-cup/day increment of regular coffee was associated with a 9% reduction in diabetes, and 1 cup/day of decaf was associated with 6% reduction in diabetes, but the difference in risk reduction between the 2 types of coffee was not statistically different,” said senior author Frank B. Hu, MD, PhD, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology with the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts.
“This study provides strong evidence that regular consumption of coffee is beneficial for prevention of diabetes,” Dr. Hu told Medscape Medical News. “For individuals who already drink coffee, they may enjoy this and other potential health benefits, and for those who are sensitive to the effects of caffeine, decaf may confer similar benefits.”
Robust Findings
The 28 studies in the analysis included 1,109,272 participants, and all had the outcome of risk for type 2 diabetes; there were 45,335 cases of diabetes, with follow-up ranging from 10 months to 20 years.
The relative risk for type 2 diabetes with coffee consumption, compared with no or rare consumption, ranged from 0.92 for 1 cup per day, 0.85 for 2 cups, 0.79 for 3 cups, 0.75 for 4 cups, 0.71 for 5 cups, and 0.67 for 6 cups.
Meanwhile, the relative risk for diabetes associated with 1 cup of caffeinated coffee per day (compared to no or rare coffee consumption) was 0.91 compared with 0.94 for 1 cup of decaffeinated coffee per day ( P = .17).
The findings were consistent for men as well as women, and while coffee-brewing methods were not assessed in the studies, the inclusion of diverse populations likely covered a wide array of methods, the authors note.
“Most coffee is likely to be filtered coffee, and the results from studies conducted in various populations, including US, European, and Asian, were similar, indicating consistency of the results despite potentially different preparation and processing methods,” they observe.
And while none of the studies assessed levels of sugar and dairy added to coffee, the amounts are “likely to be small compared with other food sources,” they add.
While this meta-analysis does provide “strong evidence” that higher consumption of coffee is associated with a significantly lower risk for diabetes, “longer-term randomized controlled trials are needed to establish causality and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms,” they conclude.
Coffee Just a Small Part of the Diabetes Equation
One possible explanation for the reduced risk for diabetes with coffee consumption could be the role of chlorogenic acid, a phenolic compound and a major component of coffee, Dr. Hu said.
“Chlorogenic acid has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and reduce blood sugar absorption,” he told Medscape Medical News.
“Compounds in coffee also include antioxidant polyphenols, minerals such as magnesium and chromium, [and] vitamins; however, it is impossible to tease out the effects of individual compounds, because they don’t exist in isolation in coffee and they may have synergistic effects.”
He stressed also that coffee consumption remains a small piece of the picture.
“Coffee is only one of many dietary and lifestyle factors that can contribute to diabetes prevention. Clearly, maintaining a healthy weight through diet and exercise is the most important way to reduce risk of diabetes. For those who drink coffee regularly, they should enjoy it, but they still need to watch their weight and be physically active.”
The research received funding from the National Institutes of Health. The authors have reported no relevant financial relationships.
Diabetes Care . 2013; 37:569-586. Abstract
Diabetes and Depression Combination Raises Heart Attack Risk
This article presents evidence that links a measure of experienced state of well-being generated in the mid-brain (depression) with a metabolic condition (diabetes) and the risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack. All three systems are fed by the vagus (ninth cranial) nerve and can be regulated by mindfulness practices.
It was downloaded from open source: http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/EASDCardio/41896
Diabetes and Depression Combo Hikes MI Risk
Published: Sep 26, 2013 | Updated: Sep 27, 2013
BARCELONA — Individuals who have both diabetes and depression have an increased likelihood of having a myocardial infarction (MI), a large Swedish study affirmed.
The odds of having an MI compared with individuals without either condition were greatest among those ages 45 to 64, with the strongest association seen in women (OR 7.1, 95% CI 6.1-8.2), according to Karin Rådholm, of Linköping University in Sweden.
The corresponding odds ratio for men in that age group was 2.8 (95% CI 2.5-3.2), Rådholm reported at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes meeting here.
The chances of having an MI were also elevated — but to a lesser extent — in men and women who had either diabetes or depression, but not both.
Previous studies have shown an association between diabetes and depression, and a study published last year showed that treating both conditions simultaneously in the primary care setting was associated with improved glycemic control. Patients with both conditions have been shown to have an increased cardiovascular risk.
Rådholm and colleagues explored the link between diabetes, depression, and MI using data on 3,738,524 individuals ages 45 to 84 from Swedish national registries of prescription drug use, hospitalizations, and deaths. The analysis excluded those who had had an MI before the beginning of the study period.
Prescriptions for medications for diabetes and depression were used as surrogates for the conditions themselves.
The researchers divided the patients into four groups, which could be shuffled each of the 3 years of the study, based on drug use:
- Neither type of medication
- Anti-diabetics only
- Antidepressants only
- Both types of drugs
During the 3-year follow-up, 1.2% of the participants had a first MI. Of those, 37% were fatal.
In the older half of the cohort (ages 65 to 84), all three of the drug groups carried an increased likelihood of having an MI, with odds ratios ranging from just over 1.0 to about 3.0 compared with non-users. The greatest odds were observed in those taking both types of medication and in women versus men.
The findings were similar in the younger half of the cohort (ages 45 to 64), with odds ratios ranging from just over 1.0 to about 7.0. The results were not changed by adjustment for the use of anti-hypertensives.
The findings were not surprising, according to Ewan Pearson, PhD, MBBChir, of the University of Dundee in Scotland. “It’s a very nice, large study that establishes the fact that people with diabetes and people with depression have higher rates of cardiovascular events,” said Pearson, who co-chaired the session at which Rådholm presented the results.
What is noteworthy is the large sample size used in the analysis, he said.
“A study of 3.7 million is incredible,” he said. “It just shows the utility of these massive population resources that Sweden has access to.”
Rådholm acknowledged that the study was limited by the lack of information on the indications for use of antidepressants, noting, for example, that tricyclics can be used for neuralgias and other conditions. The analysis also lacked information on important confounders, such as smoking, lipid levels, and lifestyle.
Rådholm did not report any conflicts of interest.
Vegans show lower BMI and obesity rates than meat-eaters
This article is self explanatory. Note the setting in which the study was done however. Seventh-Day Adventist Communities are atypically more cohesive than those of mainstream Americans. They also have been practicing social values that exemplify, “clean, spiritually intentional living” for several generations. BMI stands for base metabolism index.
It was downloaded from open source Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/05/vegetarians-slimmer-meat-eaters-weight_n_4039441.html
Vegetarians Slimmer Than Meat-Eaters, Study Finds
Posted: 10/05/2013 9:49 am EDT
Vegetarians may not only be more likely to outlive their meat-eating counterparts, they could have a leg up in the weight department, too.
A new study from Loma Linda University researchers shows an association between diet type and weight, with vegetarians having a lower body mass index than non-vegetarians. Interestingly, researchers found this association despite both groups in the study having similar caloric intake.
The Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics study is based on data from the Adventist Health Study 2, which includes dietary data from five groups: meat-eaters, semi-vegetarians (occasional meat-eaters), pesco-vegetarians (vegetarians who eat fish), lacto-ovo vegetarians (vegetarians who consume dairy) and vegans (who don’t consume any animal products). Data was collected between 2002 and 2007 from 71,751 Seventh-Day Adventist men and women, with an average age of 59.
Caloric intake was similar among all dietary patterns — about 2,000 calories a day — with the one exception being the semi-vegetarians, who consumed 1,707 calories a day.
Researchers found that average BMI was lowest among vegans, while average BMI was highest among the meat-eaters. Looking specifically at obesity (defined as having a BMI over 30), researchers found that vegans had the lowest percentage of people who were obese — just 9.4 percent — while meat-eaters had the highest percentage of people who were obese — 33.3 percent. About 24 percent of semi-vegetarians were obese, 17.9 percent of pesco-vegetarians were obese, and 16.7 percent of lacto-ovo vegetarians were obese.
Even though calorie intake was similar across all the groups, there were differences in the types of nutrients consumed. Meat-eaters had the lowest intake of plant proteins, beta carotene, fiber and magnesium, and the highest intake of heart disease-linked fatty acids.
Of course, diet isn’t the only factor in weight — the study didn’t examine other factors, such as exercise or socioeconomic status. It merely showed an association between eating patterns and weight, not a cause-and-effect relationship.
