Red Wine and Dark Chocolate. Guilt Free Pleasures That Romance the Heart

Resveratrol which lowers blood sugar and relaxes arteries is found in red wine and also dark chocolate, making them ideal for heart holidays like Valentine's Day and year round consumption for heart health.

Red wine, and Green Tea provide catechins, which lower LDL and total cholesterol and relax blood vessels for blood pressure control. To say nothing of boosting mood!

Dark chocolate, (70 percent or higher cocoa content) is a treat you do not have to feel guilty about. When was the last time you were really excited about eating healthy? “Truffles, soufflés and even hot chocolate can be a great source of resveratrol and cocoa phenols (flavonoids) as long as dark chocolate with a high content of cocoa is used.”

Other heart healthy choices?

Salmon/tuna - “Especially white, or albacore, tuna and salmon are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids, and canned salmon contains soft bones that give an added boost of calcium intake.”

Oatmeal - “Cooked for a breakfast porridge or used in breads or desserts, oatmeal is a good source of soluble fiber, niacin, folate and potassium.”

Black or kidney beans – These foods provide niacin, folate, magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, soluble fiber.

Walnuts and almonds - “Both walnuts and almonds contain omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, magnesium, fiber and heart-favorable mono- and polyunsaturated fats.”

Blueberries/cranberries/raspberries/strawberries - “Berries are a good source of beta carotene and lutein, anthocyanin, ellagic acid (a polyphenol), vitamin C, folate, potassium and fiber.” Yes! You can dip them in dark chocolate!

Green Tea Catechins Reduce Cholesterol levels

A review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials looked at the relationship between compounds called catechins in green tea and serum lipid levels. Twenty trials were assessed and the results showed that Green Tea Catechins in doses ranging from 145 to 3000 mg taken daily for 3 to 24 weeks reduced total and LDL cholesterol levels. HDL and Triglyceride levels were not affected.


Note that the average cup of green tea contains 100 mg. of catechins. So to get to 3000 mg you'll be drinking a lot of tea! Supplements are available.


Also the way you handle, brew and store your green tea at home can also make a difference in the catechin content. These tips come from a definitive guide to all things green tea:

• Use flow-through tea bags instead of flat tea bags, so the water can easily circulate through the leaves and the catechins can be released efficiently.
• Use purified water, as the chlorine in tap water degrades the catechins and destroys the subtle flavor of green tea.
• Avoid tea kettles made of metal alloys containing iron since iron lowers the antioxidant of activity of catechins.¹ Kettles made of high-grade stainless steel, nickel-plated metal alloys, copper, polypropylene plastic, lead-free porcelain or glass are best.
• Bring the water to a full boil and add the tea immediately. Steeping tea leaves at 212° F for five minutes releases approximately 80 percent of the catechins. In contrast, the catechin release is over one-third less when tea is steeped at 176° F.²
• Don’t put the tea leaves in water and then microwave them. This will “overcook” them and destroy some of the catechins.
• Keep your tea in an airtight container, even if it comes in pre-packaged bags. This will keep the tea leaves fresher and help preserve the catechins.

Multivitamin Use Improves Survival rate in Breast Cancer Patients

Breast cancer patients who take multivitamins with minerals are less likely to have disease recurrence than patients who do not take multivitamins with minerals, according to new data.

The routine use of multivitamins with minerals also appears to be associated with a decreased risk of breast cancer–specific and overall death.

Findings of the prospective Life After Cancer Epidemiology study were reported by Heather Greenlee, ND, PhD, who is a naturopathic physician and assistant professor of epidemiology and medical oncology at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York City.

Her group analyzed questionnaires completed by 2239 women diagnosed with a first primary early-stage breast cancer between 1997 and 2000.

“Many women diagnosed with breast cancer have questions about what lifestyle changes they can make to improve their prognosis as a breast cancer survivor, including whether taking vitamin supplements can reduce adverse side effects from treatment, decrease their risk of recurrence, and improve survival,” Greenlee pointed out.

Compared with healthy women, breast cancer patients appear to be more frequent users of multivitamins and vitamin/mineral supplements, she added. In fact, data from the 1999-2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey show ed that 57% to 62% of women with breast cancer use multivitamins compared with only 38% of healthy women.

“To date, no studies have examined the association between multivitamin use either pre- and/or postdiagnosis and the risk of breast cancer recurrence and death,” she said.

Of the study population, there were 363 breast cancer recurrences, 202 deaths from breast cancer, and 372 deaths overall, as of May 7, 2010.

Forty-four percent of patients reportedly took multivitamins with minerals at least three times a week for at least 12 months during the 5 years before they had been diagnosed with breast cancer. After diagnosis, 60% of women reported using multivitamins with minerals. In the study, women who were categorized as having used multivitamins and minerals after their diagnosis had to have taken them at least three times a week for at least 1 year after their diagnosis.

Women who reported that they had continually taken multivitamins with minerals before their diagnosis and continuing afterward were 31% less likely to have a disease recurrence than women who said that they had never taken multivitamins with minerals. They were also 47% less likely to die of breast cancer and 27% less likely to die of any cause.

Further analysis revealed that the protective associations occurred only in women who had undergone radiation and hormone therapy.

For more information:

The most up-to-date and complete resource on the powerful benefits of micronutrients for cancer treatment and prevention

* Written by the nation's leading expert on vitamins and cancer research

* Reveals how to maximize the benefits of your cancer treatment program while minimizing the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation

* Shows how to counteract the carcinogenic effects of dental X-rays, CT scans, mammograms, cell phones, and other unavoidable hazards of modern life

* Provides an easy-to-follow program of nutritional supplements to improve your odds of avoiding and beating cancer

Despite extensive research and the development of new treatments and drugs, the U.S. mortality rate from cancer has not changed during the past several decades. Yet there are promising nutritional ways of avoiding and even beating cancer. In this completely revised and expanded edition, leading anticancer researcher Kedar N. Prasad and doctor K. Che Prasad reveal the latest revolutionary discoveries in the use of antioxidants and micro-nutrients to prevent and treat cancer--and also help with heart disease, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's.

Providing a simple nutritional program to follow, the authors show how micro-nutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants can enhance the beneficial effects of conventional cancer treatments, decrease their toxic side effects, improve long-term prognosis, and reduce the risk of new cancer. Explaining how antioxidants regulate gene expression and cancer heredity, the authors detail how to counteract the risks of dental and medical X-rays, CT scans, mammograms, cell phones, frequent flying, and other unavoidable hazards of modern life; reduce the oxidative stress of free radicals in the blood; and decrease chronic inflammation. Reviewing recent studies, they deflate the controversies surrounding the use of antioxidants in cancer treatment, revealing everything from the reason why many vitamins in foods are destroyed during storage to the surprising role of selenium in cancer prevention.

Red Wine protective against breast cancer!

This is certainly good news for those who love the darker grapes. For years we've been hearing that alcohol raises a woman's risk of breast cancer due to the lift in estrogen that happens when we drink. Turns out if we like red wine we have protection...not increased risk. It has to do with aromatase.

Previous research has suggested that all alcoholic beverages increase the risk of breast cancer since they activate the aromatase enzyme (responsible for a key step in the production of estrogens from androgens).

By comparing levels of important hormones in people consuming a moderate amount of red and white wine daily, this new study investigated whether red wine

consumption was associated with hormonal changes that may reduce the risk of breast cancer .

The researchers found that red wine consumption was associated with increased free testosterone and lower levels of female sex hormones.

Their findings suggest that components in red wine act as aromatase inhibitors, which challenge the wide-held belief that all types of alcohol increase the risk of developing breast cancer.

So women at risk of breast cancer who enjoy having the occasional cocktail, may find some relief in this study, as long as they stick to red wine.

Here's the study:

Red Versus White Wine as a Nutritional Aromatase Inhibitor in Premenopausal Women

More evidence that red wine is healthier than other wines and drinks? The amount of alcohol and certain unique substances that are present in the red wine helps it to increase the “good” cholesterol and also prevents the artery, blood vessels that carry blood from the heart, from damage. Antioxidants, like flavonoids and resveratrol certainly have heart healthy effects and these are present in red wine!

Get out of that chair! Sitting linked to dramatic increase in cancer.

We already knew that sitting for prolonged periods of time was linked to increased rates of diabetes and heart disease, now we can add cancer to the list. And worse...the risk exists even if you exercise although it is more pronounced if you don't and it is reduced if you take short exercise breaks during the day.

According to research presented at the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), up to 173,000 new cases of cancer could be prevented annually in the US if people sat less.1 The two types of cancer that seem to be the most influenced by sitting too much include breast cancer, with 49,000 cases annually directly attributed to long periods of sitting, and colon cancer, with 43,000 cases. Scientists also found that less sitting might prevent 37,200 cases of lung cancer, 30,600 cases of prostate cancer, 12,000 cases of endometrial cancer and 1,800 cases of ovarian cancer. And this is a conservative estimate, says Christine Friedenreich of Alberta Health Services in Calgary, Canada, who conducted research on the link between cancer and sedentary lifestyles.

Before you despair, know that a few minutes each hour on your feet moving around helps. In fact it is a lifesaver for those of us who are stuck sitting during working hours.

Needless to say, being a couch potato at night and on the weekends doesn't help matters.

During the workday moving for a minute or two every hour or even better every half hour leads to smaller waistlines, less insulin resistance, and lower levels of inflammation -- all risk factors for cancer. Apparently, it only takes a few minutes of activity to break up prolonged periods of sitting to decrease levels of cancer-causing compounds in the body such as C-reactive protein, which is associated with inflammation leading to breast cancer, as well as glucose and fat molecules in the blood.

If you work at a desk, consider refurnishing your office with a standing desk. If you work at home, use a headset and stand up and walk around for phone calls.

Rettner, Rachael. "Prolonged Sitting Linked to Breast and Colon Cancers." 3 November 2011. Scientific American. 8 December 2011

Doheny, Kathleen. "Is Sitting Too Long a Major Cancer Risk?" 3 November 2011. WebMD. 9 December 2011.

Diet Soda and weight loss? It's a scam! Don't you fall for it!

There is a trend at the beginning of each new year to make little changes hoping to curb extra weight gain. Countless unsuspecting people drink diet soda and relentless advertising has delivered billions of customers to Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi. These people are presumably hoping for something to drink that does not put on the pounds. Well that something is water. Or unsweetened tea. Diet soda? A terrible habit.

Diet soda not only doesn't stop weight gain, it increases it. Yes. You read that right!

Drinking diet soda actually causes weight gain and blood sugar spikes. According to new studies presented at the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions in San Diego, study subjects who drank two or more diet sodas a day had waist-size increases that were six times greater than those of people who didn’t drink diet soda. Think about that before you pop open your next can.

Cutting calories and carbs just two days a week reduces breast cancer risk.

Limiting carbohydrate intake just two days a week can mitigate some risk factors for breast cancer by burning body fat and improving insulin sensitivity.


Over three months, eating fewer carbohydrates alone or combining that reduction with severe caloric restriction two days per week was associated with significant changes in body fat and insulin resistance.

In an earlier study, the same research team demonstrated that two days per week of calorie restriction was comparable to daily calorie restriction in terms of weight loss, but it wasn't any easier for patients to follow because the choice of food was limited to fruit and vegetables on restricted days.

They randomized 115 overweight or obese patients who, based on their weight were at risk of breast cancer, to one of three diets over a three-month period:

1.             A calorie-restricted (600 kcal), low-carbohydrate (less than 40 g) diet for two days a week

2.             A low-carbohydrate diet for two days per week, plus an ad-lib Mediterranean (healthy fats, fruits, and vegetables) diet the other five days

3.             A daily calorie-restriction Mediterranean diet (1,500 kcal) all week

After three months, patients on either of the low-carbohydrate diets had significantly greater declines in insulin resistance.

Harvie M, et al "Intermittent dietary carbohydrate restriction enables weight loss and reduces breast cancer biomarkers" SABCS 2011; Abstract P3-09-02.

Blood level of vitamin D can predict tumor size in breast cancer.

Women who have higher levels of vitamin D when they're diagnosed with breast cancer appear to have smaller tumors according to research presented this week at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.


Lower vitamin D levels were correlated with much bigger tumors and patients with lower vitamin D levels at diagnosis tended to have a higher risk of breast-cancer related death.


For patients who were clearly vitamin D deficient -- having a level below 30 ng/mL at diagnosis -- there was a significant increase in the risk of relapse after three years.

The anti-inflammatory effects of vitamin D are the likely mediator of the relationship between higher levels and smaller tumor size, though more research is needed to clarify the exact mechanisms.

Hatse S, et al "Vitamin D status in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients inversely correlates with tumor size and moderately correlates with outcome" SABCS 2011; Abstract P5-05-01.

 

Fish may protect the brain as we age, providing significant reduction in risk of Alzheimers

People who eat baked or broiled fish at least once a week may be protecting their brains from Alzheimer’s disease and other brain problems, researchers reported Wednesday.

Cyrus Raji of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and colleagues conducted brain scans on 260 healthy adults and examined whether there was a relationship between the amount of gray matter, which is crucial to maintaining a healthy brain, and their risk of developing Alzheimer’s or a condition known as mild cognitive impairment (MCI) over the next five years.

After taking into consideration factors such as age, gender, education, race, physical activity and obesity, the researchers found that those who regularly consumed baked or broiled fish on a weekly basis were more likely, a decade later, to have more gray matter in several key parts of the brain, including the hippocampus, the posterior cingulate and the orbital frontal cortex, the researchers reported at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America in Chicago. In addition, those who were regular fish eaters were almost five times less likely to develop MCI or Alzheimer’s, the researchers found. The fish eaters also scored higher on tests measuring thinking abilities, such as working memory, they said.

“Consuming baked or broiled fish promotes stronger neurons in the brain’s gray matter by making them larger and healthier,” Raji said in a news release. “This simple lifestyle choice increases the brain’s resistance to Alzheimer’s disease and lowers risk for the disorder.”

Sorry Mrs Paul, no such protective effect was found for those who ate fried fish.

Choline-rich diet tied to sharper memory.

People who get plenty of choline in their diets may perform better on memory tests, and be less likely to show brain changes associated with dementia, a new study suggests.

The study can only point to a correlation between memory and dietary choline -- a nutrient found in foods like saltwater fish, eggs, liver, chicken, milk and certain legumes, including soy and kidney beans.

The findings suggest that people with lower choline intakes were more likely to be on a "pathway" toward mental decline than their counterparts with higher intakes.

The findings, researchers say, do not mean that choline is the answer to staving off Alzheimer's disease -- the memory-robbing disease that affects 26 million people globally. But there's also reason to believe that choline matters. The nutrient is a precursor to the brain chemical acetylcholine, which plays a key role in memory and other cognitive functions; low acetylcholine levels are associated with Alzheimer's.

The study adds to evidence that your lifetime diet may make a difference in how your brain ages.

A number of studies, though not all, have found links between diet and Alzheimer's risk. Some suggest that Mediterranean-style eating, for instance, might be protective; that typically means a diet high in fish, vegetables and fruit, whole grains and unsaturated fats like those in olive oil.

The message is that eating a healthy, balanced diet in mid-life is important.

The relation of dietary choline to cognitive performance and white-matter hyperintensity in the Framingham Offspring Cohort. Am J Clin Nutr December 2011 vol. 94 no. 6 1584-159

Salt...you don't want too much..or too little!

Most people I know think salt is always something we should get less of..but that doesn't seem to be the case. Too much? Yes we know that is a problem..but so is not getting enough according to this new study. Follow the link and have a look. It might change the way you think about salt.

Too little salt may also increase risk of heart problems, suggests study

Consumption of too much, and too little, salt may be linked to a higher risk of heart-related hospitalisations and deaths, according to a new study.

http://www.foodnavigator.com/Science-Nutrition/Too-little-salt-may-also-increase-risk-of-heart-problems-suggests-study