Sunday
07Mar2010

Curcumin - Supplement or Tasteful Spice?

DateSunday, March 7, 2010 at 4:10PM

If you had an ailment 3000 years ago, more than likely you might seek a cure from a medicine doctor.  These doctors treated anything from general wounds and infections, to more severe medical afflictions.  A key treatment might have included the brightly colored spice turmeric.  Curcumin is responsible for the yellow color in this Indian spice, along with curry powder.

Current research is focusing on the beneficial properties of Curcumin.  Curcumin has been studied for its role in prevention of both Alzheimer’s disease and cancer since it is a powerful antioxidant with strong anti-inflammatory benefits.  It is now thought that one of the keys to lowering risk of cancer, diabetes or heart disease is to lower inflammation in the body.

A few epidemiological studies (ones in which an association exists between two things) revealed that individuals consuming foods with turmeric or curry a few times a month has less incidence of Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive problems than those who ate the spices less than once a month. 

UCLA Neurologist John Ringman studied Curcumin supplements in Alzheimer’s patients.  The study results showed no differences in patients treated with Curcumin supplements versus a placebo.  However, this study and others do show Curcumin has poor or uncertain absorption when taken in supplement form versus used as a food spice.

Research does show the supplement Curcumin has the potential to interact with blood thinning agents, NSAIDS (i.e. Motrin/Advil) and prescription medications metabolized by the liver.  In addition, this supplement is not recommended for those with liver or gallbladder disease.

Still to this day in India turmeric is referred to as “holy powder” for its health benefits.  Since turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties, why not include it in your regular diet? However, instead of grabbing a supplement, reach inside your spice cabinet and create a tasty recipe using turmeric or curry, which has the potential to benefit your health and possibly lower risk of Alzheimer’s and cancer.  That sure beats visiting a medicine doctor.

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Friday
05Mar2010

Heart Disease in Children?

DateFriday, March 5, 2010 at 9:56AM

Last month a topic of discussion at the American Diabetes Association conference was children and heart disease.  Artery autopsies done on children who had fatal accidents showed the presence of fatty streaks.

Although I had knowledge of this phenomenon it still came as a shock to fathom children having fatty streaks and blockages in the arteries.  Isn’t that only supposed to happen to older adults?

I hear from parents – “they only wants pizza, burgers and fries.”  Who’s controlling the food?  When I was growing up I ate what was served without too many questions.  If I did not like a particular item served I was encouraged to have a few “no thank you” bites.  I know things have changed but I have to wonder if the current philosophy of feeding our youth needs an adjustment.

This week’s LA times article “A Sticking Issue with Kids” discusses the Center for Disease Control report which showed that cholesterol abnormalities – i.e. high bad cholesterol and low good cholesterol values – are far more common in children than in past times, particularly overweight children.  The article questioned whether we should start checking children’s cholesterol panels.  Pediatrician’s views are mixed.

Where does the solution start?  Will pediatricians start prescribing statin drugs for children to fix the problem of unbalanced eating and inactivity like we do in adults?

When do we start looking at the cause rather than the symptom?  Taking control of our youth’s health and happiness is having time for family dinners, cooking at home, and making meals from whole unprocessed foods.  Our bodies are happy to get rid of bad cholesterol and avoid making plaque when we feed them “clean’ foods in their natural forms.  Running around on the weekend with our kids and engaging them in outdoor activities is essential to keeping their little arteries supple and healthy.

It’s not too late to start now.  Even if your child is overweight and has high cholesterol studies show a turnaround is possible in as little as 2 weeks.  The body responds quickly to dietary changes.  Act now and start those “no thank you” bites of healthy foods.  Remember, it’s prevention not prescription.

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Thursday
04Mar2010

What Oil Do I Use?

DateThursday, March 4, 2010 at 9:51AM

One of the questions I hear most frequently in lectures and with my clients is “which oil should I be cooking with?”  This question turns out to be more complicated than you would think.  Years ago, most of the population ate butter. Then, experts reported that vegetable oils were a much healthier alternative, and many people switched to corn or vegetable oils.  This advice did not turn out to be true since weight, heart disease and diabetes have been rapidly increasingly.  The good news is that research on which oils are healthy has become clearer during the last year.  Choosing which oil to buy depends on the purpose – i.e. cooking versus using in salad dressing or baking. 

Olive oil is a monounsaturated fat that is useful in making salad dressing and marinating vegetables and meats.  If you are cooking with olive oil, only use it in recipes where the smoke point is between 200 to less than 400 degrees.  The best olive oil is cold-pressed, extra virgin since it contains both the good monounsaturated fat and powerful antioxidants known as Polyphenols.  This type of olive oil means the olives are processed within 24 hours of picking, which aids in retaining a higher quality product.  It is slightly cloudy due to the small particles of olive flesh in the oil.  Olive oil which is clear still contains the monounsaturated fat but is devoid of the Polyphenols.  “Lite” olive oil is a marketing gimmick that just refers to a milder flavor, rather than less fat and calories.

Coconut oil is a safe oil to cook with at high temperatures since it is saturated and the molecules cannot be damaged.  Organic coconut oil is best since it is free of pesticides.  Avoid high omega-6 oils such as safflower, sunflower, corn, and soybean oil. 

Canola oil, although high in omega-3 fatty acids, has a high sulfur content and can quickly become rancid.  It has been reported that baked goods made with canola oil can quickly develop mold. Due to the high level of rancidity, canola oil must be deodorized, and this process can increase the amount of trans fatty acids in canola oil, which negates the benefits of the omega-3 fatty acids that are present.  In addition, since canola is the result of irradiated seeds from the oilseed rape, 80-85 percent of canola is GMO (genetically modified organism) and best to avoid.

The best oils to buy are cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, organic coconut oil, and to a lesser extent flax seed oil and other nut oils such as walnut, peanut or grapeseed.

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Sunday
28Feb2010

Quercetin and Resveratrol?

DateSunday, February 28, 2010 at 3:38PM

Two buzz words in nutrition and supplement research – quercetin and resveratrol.  What is the lowdown?  Should you take a supplement or just eat the food?

The simple answer is unclear.  Quercetin is a type of antioxidant known as a polyphenol.  Two categories of polyphenols are flavonoids and non-flavonoids.  A flavonoid is a pigment in food that has important health benefits.  Besides antioxidant activity, flavonoids are known for their prevention of heart disease and cancer, since they can lower cholesterol levels and inflammation in the body.

Quercetin is found in the greatest concentration in apple skins, but can also be found in red grapes, green tea and buckwheat.  Several positive studies were done with animals, including one in which quercetin supplemented mice were less likely to get the flu.  Human studies to date have been inconclusive on supplement usage.

Resveratrol is a non-flavonoid polyphenol that is found in grapes and grape skins.  It has strong anti-inflammatory effects in the body which can be helpful in the prevention of atherosclerosis.  Wine drinkers tout they are getting their resveratrol for the day.  However, you would have to consume 180 glasses of wine per day to obtain the amount necessary for health.  Studies are also inconclusive on supplement usage.  More importantly, many supplements tested do not contain the amount of resveratrol that is stated on the bottle.

Bottom line?  Until more research is in, eat apples and grapes, and drink green tea.  You will be receiving the quercetin and resveratrol your body can readily use and absorb and there is nothing to lose except bad health…and maybe the flu.

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Thursday
25Feb2010

Childhood Obesity starts with Formulas?

DateThursday, February 25, 2010 at 8:39PM

Last week’s blog regarding the New York Times article citing bypass surgery for children set off a raw nerve with readers.  Childhood obesity is multi-factorial but can it actually start with the first bottle of formula?

One ingredient to avoid on food labels is high fructose corn syrup or corn syrup.  Many infant formulas list this ingredient as second or third.  Dr. Robert Lustig, a pediatric endocrinologist at UCSF, gave an elaborate lecture on u-tube regarding the consequences of sugar and high fructose corn syrup.  He blew the whistle on the obesity epidemic starting with corn syrup in infant formulas.

Many women are unable to breastfeed for multiple reasons.  A few years ago some of my female clients turned to me for help in selecting an appropriate formula.  After spending many hours online and in the store I only found one or two formulas that came close to something I would recommend.

Besides corn syrup in cow-based formulas there even more issues with soy formulas since they are made with soy protein isolate (SPI).  To make SPI, manufactures take soybeans that are about 90 percent genetically modified, and mix them with a solution to remove the fiber.  This fiber-less soybean is then dried at high temperatures which denature the quality of the protein.  In addition, soy acts like a pseudo-estrogen in the body and it is estimated that an infant fed soy formula receives the amount of estrogen per day in at least 5 birth control pills – not such a great start to life.

Formula makers are now supplementing with the important omega-3 fats DHA and EPA to help the baby’s brain development.  However, the sources of these essential fats can be poor or contain inadequate amounts.

It might be time to demand infant formula makers to make a change-maybe the first step needed in Michelle Obama's campaign against childhood obesity.  Women receive cases of these formulas free in the hospital to encourage usage, unknowingly feeding their babies something which could influence their future health.  It’s time we started preventing obesity from the beginning – rather than prescriptions later.

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