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Score another win for chocolate: Studies show stroke risk reduction

Posted Fri, 02/12/2010 - 9:48am by Darling Husband

This is starting to sound like a broken record, but there are more studies showing potential health benefits of eating chocolate (especially dark chocolate).

From http://www.webmd.com/stroke/news/20100211/chocolate-chips-away-stroke-risk

A new review of recent research on chocolate and stroke risk found at least two large studies are suggestive of the health benefits of chocolate in lowering the risk of stroke. The results will be presented in April at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Toronto.

The first study found 44,489 people who ate one serving of chocolate per week were 22% less likely to have a stroke than people who didn’t eat chocolate.

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Darling Husband's picture

My, what long telemeres you have! (Why some people seem to age more slowly than others)

Posted Sun, 02/07/2010 - 7:10pm by Darling Husband

Here's an interesting article about why some people seem to age more slowly than others. Apparently, the length of your telemeres – tiny biological clocks at the ends of chromosomes – get shorter over time, until cells die. Here's the punch line: some people have longer telemeres.

Scientists have found a 'Peter Pan gene' that could explain why some people remain baby-faced while others become old before their time.
Millions of Britons are blessed with DNA that makes them look up to eight years younger than their peers.

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Exercise prepares your mind for stress: study

Posted Sat, 11/21/2009 - 7:59pm by Darling Husband

According to a report in the New York Times, exercise helps prepare your brain to deal with stress, making you "less anxious".

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Obesity, Leptin Resistance, and Dietary Fructose

Posted Sun, 10/11/2009 - 8:19am by Darling Husband

Why is there so much focus on dietary fructose these days? Why is it thought to be a 'bad' carbohydrate?

I found some answers while I watched an interesting lecture—Obesity: The Plague of the 21st Century—on the Research Channel.

The lecture was about body fat regulation mechanisms and how they contribute to obesity. Research indicates that the hormone Leptin is involved in body fat regulation, and that the body's fat stores can alter Leptin levels—which creates a perverse feedback loop in which body fat may act to raise your 'normal' weight set point, thus frustrating long-term efforts to reduce weight and keep it off. Researchers found that injecting Leptin into obese patients results in a dramatic return to 'normal' body fat levels.

Other interesting points mentioned:

  • Body fat is regulated by the body.
  • Studies show that low-fat, reduced calorie diets are effective for weight loss (at least for the duration of the studies); reduced carbohydrate, high-protein, low fat diets are even more effective.
  • The Minnesota Starvation Experiment conducted during WWII demonstrated strongly negative physiological and psychological effects of severe caloric restriction: reduced metabolism and obsession with food to name but a few. Starvation dieters beware!
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Cut the added sugar, says the American Heart Association

Posted Mon, 08/24/2009 - 8:35pm by Darling Husband

Low carbers will not be surprised to see that The American Heart Association says that added dietary sugar poses a significant health risk, especially in soft drinks.

The American Heart Association is taking aim at the nation's sweet tooth, urging consumers to significantly cut back on the amount of sugar they get from such foods as soft drinks, cookies and ice cream.

In a scientific statement issued Monday, the organization says most women should limit their sugar intake to 100 calories, or about six teaspoons, a day; for men, the recommendation is 150 calories, or nine teaspoons.

The recommendations are likely to prove challenging for many consumers to meet. Just one 12-ounce can of cola has about 130 calories, or eight teaspoons of sugar.

Data gathered during a national nutrition survey between 2001 and 2004 suggest that Americans consume on average 355 calories, or more than 22 teaspoons, of sugar a day.

[snip]
Added sugars "offer no nutritional value other than calories to the diet," Dr. Johnson said. "The majority of Americans could reduce their risk of heart disease by achieving healthy weight and the evidence is fairly clear that reducing the amount of sugars can help with that."

While many studies associate increased consumption of soft drinks with higher calorie intake, weight gain and obesity, others have failed to support the connection. Similarly, research investigating added sugar's impact on blood pressure, heightened inflammation and on changes in blood fats called triglycerides is inconclusive. And there are no studies linking the recommended limits to preventing weight gain or promoting weight loss.

Link - WSJ

I find it fascinating that although the scientific evidence is unclear, the AHA has no problem issuing the recommendations. Lowcarbcompatible.com readers may be aware of claims of similar lack of hard evidence linking fat intake to heart disease.

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