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The good news is that more people these days are aware of the health problems associated with being overweight and are trying to lose excess pounds. The not so good news is that a majority of those trying to lose weight are going the low carbohydrate route. When followed short term, this approach is not harmful for most folks, but long term can be a different matter. Additionally, short-term strategies at weight loss normally do not result in long term positive results, i.e. permanent weight loss.

Diet is as Good as Drugs in Lowering Cholesterol


In a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers found that a strict low-fat diet high in soy protein, fiber, nuts, and plant sterols was just as effective as a commonly prescribed medication in treating high cholesterol.

For this study, three groups were compared. All three groups followed a diet low in saturated fat. The second group also took 20 mg of lovastatin, a commonly prescribed cholesterol reducing drug. The third group added generous amounts of soluble fiber, plant sterols, soy protein, and almonds. At the end of the four week study, patients in the third group had similar cholesterol reductions as the lovastatin group.

Dr. James W. Anderson, who wrote a commentary accompanying the study, concluded that about half the people currently taking statin drugs to lower cholesterol could reach their goals with diet alone. If you are currently on a statin drug, we recommend speaking to your Doctor about possible dietary interventions.

REFERENCES:

1) Jenkins DJ, Kendall CW, Marchie A, et al. Effects of a dietary portfolio of cholesterol lowering foods vs. lovastatin on serum lipids and C-reactive protein. JAMA 2003 Jul 23; 290(4): 502-10.

2) Anderson, JW. Diet first, then medication for hypercholesterolemia. JAMA 2003 Jul 23; 290(4): 531-3.

Eat More Fish for Better Health

Two recent studies have come out touting the benefits of eating fish. A five year follow up study in Finland recently published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that fish consumption protected patients with coronary heart disease by reducing their risk of dying. The results showed that patients who ate fish reduced their risk of mortality (i.e. death) in direct relation to the amount of fish they consumed. The people who ate the most fish had the lowest mortality rate.

In an unrelated study, researchers at St. Lukes Medical Center in Chicago found that people who consumed at least one serving of fish per week dramatically reduced their risk of developing Alzheimer's disease when compared to those who rarely or never ate fish.

The study involved 815 Chicago nursing home patients between 65 and 94 years of age, unaffected by Alzheimer's. After a 3.9 year follow up, 131 patients were diagnosed with the disease. People who had eaten fish at least once a week were 60% less likely to contract the disease compared to those who rarely or never ate fish.

REFERENCES:

1) Erkkila AT, Lehto S, Pyorala K, Uusitupa MI. n-3 fatty acids and 5-y risks of death and cardiovascular disease events in patients with coronary heart disease. Am J Clin Nutr 2003 July; 78: 65-71.

2) Morris MC, Evans DA, Bienias JL, et al. Consumption of fish and n-3 fatty acids and risk of incident Alzheimer disease. Arch Neurol. 2003 Jul; 60(7):940-6.

Calcium: Are you Getting Enough?

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF), only 20% of adult woman are consuming adequate amounts of calcium each day. Low intakes of calcium have been linked to decreased bone density and osteoporosis. According to the NOF, adult women should be consuming 1,000 mg of calcium per day. Teenagers, pregnant/lactating women, and postmenopausal women need even more (1,200 to 1,500 mg per day).

Some of the best whole food sources of Calcium include skim milk (302 mg per cup), nonfat yogurt (452 mg per cup), collard greens (357 mg per cup), and calcium fortified orange juice (300 mg per cup).

Because of the difficulty some women have obtaining adequate amounts of calcium from their diets, many may turn to calcium supplements. Unfortunately, supplement companies are not regulated by the FDA. Manufacturers are not required to print toxin levels on their labels and their products need not be independently tested for label accuracy.

But that's not the worst news. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association (200 284: 1432-1433) four of the top selling calcium supplements contain toxic levels of lead. Lead, in any quantity, will accumulate in bone, causing potential toxicity later in life.

Of the leading supplement brands, only Osteo Guard contained no lead. This product is made by a company called American Health Sciences. It is a physician owned and operated health and wellness organization. Generally their products are only available through physicians. If you would like more information on Osteo Guard, visit the American Health Sciences web site at www.scienceforhealth.com or call them directly at 1-800-640-6642 ext. 5. You will not be permitted to place an order without the referral of a physician or other healthcare professional. However, by using my background as a nutritionist, I was able to secure a healthcare provider number. Although I will not be selling these products directly, if you would like to take advantage of the excellent quality control this company has to offer, feel free to use the following provider number when ordering: 77009KPT.

LEAD CONTENT of Calcium Supplements:

Osteo Guard - 0
Caltrate - 2.95 mcg
Oscal - 1.75 mcg
Viactiv - 0.625 mcg
Citracal - 0.02 mcg

High blood pressure and high CRP escalate cardiovascular risk

High blood pressure and elevated levels of the inflammation marker C-reactive protein (CRP) may work together to increase cardiovascular risk in women, according to a study in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. When levels of both were elevated, the risk of heart attack and stroke increased as much as eight times. These new findings strengthen the evidence that inflammation plays a key role in the development of cardiovascular disease.

According to Dr. Paul Ridker, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, at all levels of blood pressure, the patients with higher CRP readings were at substantially greater risk of future cardiovascular events than patients with lower CRP. However, the research team could not conclude from its study whether blood pressure is stimulating heightened inflammation or whether inflammation is occurring before the development of hypertension,

Ridker and his colleagues evaluated data obtained from 15,215 participants in the Women's Health Study (WHS), an ongoing trial of 28,345 women that is testing the efficacy of aspirin and vitamin E in preventing first-time cardiovascular problems. 

The risk of a heart attack, stroke, or other cardiovascular event was more than eight times greater for women with the highest blood pressure and CRP readings, compared to those with the lowest.

"This finding has particular interest for the prevention of stroke because we have known for a long time that high blood pressure predicts stroke risk," Ridker said. "These data raise the intriguing possibility that lowering blood pressure might also lower CRP levels. If so, we hope this will not only prevent heart attacks but the devastating consequences of stroke."

Co-authors are Gavin J. Blake, M.D., MPH; Nader Rifai, Ph.D. and Julie E. Buring, M.D.

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