New Hope for Type I Diabetics (Juvenile)
CHEMICAL MADE BY PANCREAS MAY CURE TYPE 1 DIABETES
A study has found that injection of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a compound that is produced in non-diabetic people by the same pancreatic cells (islet beta cells) that normally make insulin, can prevent and even reverse type 1 diabetes in mice. (In type 1 diabetes, formerly known as juvenile diabetes, the immune system attacks and destroys the beta cells in the pancreas that make and secrete insulin, leaving the patient with little or no insulin. GABA is also known as a brain messenger, or neurotransmitter, but its role in the pancreas was unknown.)
This may be an especially effective therapy and prevention for type 1 diabetes because GABA was found both to regenerate insulin-producing beta cells, and to prevent destruction of those cells by the immune system. This treatment would need human trials before it could be considered a new treatment for type 1 diabetes.
This study was released June 27, 2011 and will appear in a future issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. It is available online now at http://bit.ly/l0YWg9 with subscription or fee.
Even Diet Soda Induces Weight Gain in Elderly
June 24, 2011 (San Diego, California) — The perception that diet soft drinks are a benign alternative to highly sweetened beverages might be dangerously wrong, according to the results of the San Antonio Longitudinal Study of Aging, which were reported here at the American Diabetes Association 71st Scientific Sessions.
Diet soft drinks have long been thought to be a healthier alternative to their sugary counterparts; however, past reports have linked increased incidence of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes to the frequent intake of diet soft drinks.
In the study presented, Sharon P. Fowler, MPH, from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and colleagues examined the effect of the long-term consumption of diet soft drinks by a population of individuals 65 to 74 years of age (n = 474).
At baseline, measures of height, weight, and waist circumference were recorded, as was diet soft drink intake. Three additional exams of the study subjects were conducted over an average follow-up of just over 3.5 years (the study was conducted over a 9-year period).
When the results of these observations were compared with those from subjects who did not drink diet soft drinks, the differences were striking. Overall, consumers of diet soft drinks experienced a 70% greater increase in waist circumference than nonconsumers. Further, among elderly drinkers of 2 or more diet soft drinks per day, mean increases in waist circumference were 5 times greater than those recorded for nonconsumers.
“These results suggest that — amidst the national drive to reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks — policies that promote the consumption of diet soft drinks may have unintended deleterious effects,” state the study investigators.
Previous work by Ms. Fowler has evaluated the negative effects of diet drinks (Obesity [Silver Spring]. 2008;16:1894-1900).
Ms. Fowler has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
American Diabetes Association (ADA) 71st Scientific Sessions: Abstract 0062-OR. Presented June 25, 2011.
High Dose Statin Therapy Increases Risk of Diabetes
High-Dose Statin Therapy Increases the Risk of Diabetes
June 21, 2011 (London, United Kingdom) — A meta-analysis of some of the more high-profile statin trials testing the effectiveness of high-dose therapy has revealed a significant increase in the risk of diabetes mellitus associated with statin use in high doses [1]. Compared with moderate-dose therapy across five statin trials, investigators report that treatment with high-dose statins increased the risk of diabetes by 12%.
Senior investigator Dr Kausik Ray (St George’s University of London, UK) said that while there might be consequences from the raised blood glucose levels, researchers do not yet know what these long-term effects mean. The net benefit of high-dose statin therapy “is definitely in favor” of using the drugs, he said.
“One thing we do know is that there does appear to be a dose effect with statin therapy, with the risk of diabetes mellitus increasing with higher doses,” Ray told heartwire . “Statins have multiple effects and cause a number of changes. What we’re seeing is probably an off-target effect, and right now we have no obvious mechanisms. However, lowering LDL-cholesterol levels is probably more important than the increase in blood-sugar levels.”
In their analysis, the number of patients needed to treat with high-dose statin therapy to prevent one cardiovascular event was 155, whereas the number needed to treat to cause one case of new-onset diabetes mellitus was 498. Overall, high-dose statin therapy reduced the risk of cardiovascular events in their meta-analysis by 16% compared with low- or moderate-dose statin therapy.
The results of the study are published in the June 22, 2011 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Previous Observed Diabetes Risk
Ray said that the idea for the meta-analysis began two years ago, when the signal for diabetes risk was observed in Justification for the Use of Statins in Primary Prevention: An Intervention Trial Evaluating Rosuvastatin (JUPITER). The group later performed an analysis of some of the early statin trials comparing the lipid-lowering drugs with placebo in 90 000 individuals and observed a significant 9% increase in the risk of diabetes mellitus. That study was reported in the Lancet in 2010 [2].
In this newest analysis, the researchers included large, randomized, controlled, hard-end-point studies that compared intensive–dose statin therapy with moderate-dose statin therapy followed for more than one year. The trials included in the meta-analysis were PROVE-IT, A to Z, TNT, IDEAL, and SEARCH, five trials that together included 32 752 patients without diabetes mellitus at baseline.
“We wanted to look at the different studies comparing the intensity of statin treatment,” said Ray. “If the diabetes finding was a real finding, we would expect to see it in the statin trials that tested different intensities of treatment in about 33 000 subjects. The trials all ranged from two to five years in duration, and we had information from five trials comparing high versus low/moderate treatment doses. Our results support our initial findings. We observed a 12% increase in risk for those patients treated with high-dose statin therapy.”
In total, 1449 patients treated with high-dose statin therapy developed diabetes compared with 1300 patients assigned to moderate-dose statin therapy. This translated into two additional cases of diabetes mellitus per 1000 patient-years. The odds ratio for new-onset diabetes was 1.12 (95% CI 1.04–1.22). Regarding benefit, 3134 patients treated with high-dose statin therapy and 3550 patients treated with moderate-dose therapy had a cardiovascular event, translating into 6.5 fewer outcomes per 1000 patient-years in the high-dose statin arm, or a relative reduction of 16%.
The investigators did observe differential effects with the different drugs. Whereas atorvastatin 80 mg and simvastatin 80 mg were both associated with similar risks of diabetes mellitus, the benefit differed significantly, with evidence in favor of atorvastatin (22% vs 5% risk reduction for cardiovascular events). The data, said Ray, support the recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decision to warn physicians to not start new patients on simvastatin 80 mg and to be vigilant to the risks of muscle toxicity caused by the drug in those who are still taking it.
Getting Patients to Goal
Dr Brendan Everett (Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA), who was not involved in the analysis, agreed with the conclusions of Ray and colleagues, that the signal observed in this latest analysis supports the findings from JUPITER and the Lancet meta-analysis “and supports the idea of a dose effect, that there is an increasing risk of diabetes with increasing doses of statins.”
Everett said the investigators helped clinicians by providing data on the relative benefits and relative harms of high-dose statin therapy. The number needed to treat to prevent one cardiovascular event and number needed to treat to cause one new case of diabetes mellitus clearly support the use of high-dose statin therapy in the patients studied in the five clinical trials.
“The benefits of statins for reducing important macrovascular events is so overwhelming that the balance is clearly on the side of benefit,” said Everett. “This is an important point that shouldn’t be forgotten.”
Dr Roger Blumenthal (Johns Hopkins University Medical Center, Baltimore, MD) agreed, stating that while “it makes sense that higher doses [of statins] would have slightly higher adverse effects,” there is still no proposed mechanism for the increased risk of diabetes. Like the others, the benefits of moderate/high doses of statins outweigh the risks, although he added that some physicians might decide to downgrade the dose based on these new data.
In addition, Dr Steven Nissen (Cleveland Clinic, OH) said that the effect is likely real as it has been observed in enough trials and analyses. That said, “it is notable that despite the increase in the risk of diabetes mellitus, the reduction in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality is maintained,” he added. “It leads me to believe that the effect is not very clinically significant.”
Everett added that what is currently unknown is how the risks of diabetes mellitus differ in other patient populations. Clinicians need to understand their patients’ baseline risks of cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus when making a decision about high-dose statin therapy, and it will be important to determine whether patients at greater risk for adverse side effects can be identified. Researchers will also need to determine what effects high-dose statin therapy has on microvascular complications, such as retinopathy.
“The bottom line is that we need to follow up on the signal, but I don’t believe the results should change treatment goals,” said Everett. A failure to aggressively treat patients at high risk for cardiovascular events will result in an excess of clinical events, he added.
Ray suggested that clinicians monitor HbA1c levels when treating patients with high-dose statin therapy.
Like Ray, Everett said the results support the FDA decision regarding simvastatin 80 mg, that the drug is associated with more side effects without a corresponding balance of efficacy. In the interest of getting patients to treatment goal and trying to do so in a cost-efficient manner, some physicians had been using high-dose simvastatin. However, if they are unable to get to goal at 40-mg simvastatin, switching over to other, nongeneric drugs is not difficult, although it does involve extra paperwork when dealing with drug payers, he said.
This Sunday at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) 2011 Scientific Sessions, Dr David Preiss (University of Glasgow, Scotland), the first author of the analysis, will present their data at a special symposium organized by the ADA and FDA. The presentation will highlight the newly observed risks with high-dose statin therapy, as well as their Lancet analysis of 13 randomized trials comparing placebo and standard-therapy trials.
References
- Preiss D, Seshasai SR, Welsh P, et al. Risk of incident diabetes with intensive-dose compared with moderate-dose statin therapy. JAMA 2011; 305:2556-2564.
- Sattar N, Preiss D, Murray HM, et al. Statins and risk of incident diabetes: a collaborative meta-analysis of randomized statins trials. Lancet 2010; 375:735-742. Abstract
Shellfish Linked to Lower Risk of Diabetes
SHELLFISH LINKED TO LOWER RISK OF DIABETES
Researchers have found an association, for women only, between higher consumption of fish and reduced risk of diabetes type 2, as well as an association for both men and women, between higher consumption of shellfish and reduced risk of diabetes.
Previously, some experts had suggested that long-chain, polyunsaturated, omega-3 fatty acids, which are found mainly in fish, may be a factor in helping to prevent diabetes type 2, but this theory remains unresolved. This study reviewed the diets of 116,156 people and found that women in the highest fifth of fish consumption had an 11 percent reduced risk of diabetes, while men in the highest fifth of fish consumption showed a lower risk that was not statistically significant.
They also found that women in the highest fifth of shellfish consumption had a 14 percent reduced risk of diabetes, while men in the highest fifth of shellfish had an 18 percent lower risk. The team did not find a health risk linked to greater fish consumption. This just-released study will appear in a future issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. It is available online now at http://bit.ly/kla0Uw with subscription or access fee.
Another Benefit of Olive Oil
OLIVE OIL REDUCES RISK OF STROKE IN OLDER PERSONS
Scientists have found that older people who regularly consume olive oil both as cooking oil and as salad dressing have a 41 percent lower risk of having a stroke than those who never use olive oil.
The study followed 7,625 people aged 65 and over for five years. The team also looked at blood levels of oleic acid, a biological indicator of olive oil intake, and found that those in the highest third of blood levels had a 27 percent lower chance of having a stroke.
Previous research showed olive oil is linked to a reduced incidence of cardiovascular risk factors, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and high cholesterol. In these cases, and in the current study, there is insufficient proof that any component in olive oil affects these risks; it is possible, for instance, that olive oil makes other healthy food choices such as salads or cooked vegetables taste better, thus increasing consumption of healthier foods.
This study was released June 15, 2011 but will not appear in print until a future issue of the journal, Neurology. It is available online now at http://bit.ly/j9Cyym with subscription or fee.
3 Different Approaches to Eating – Which is Healthiest?
ON-AND-OFF DIETING HEALTHIER THAN NO DIETING AT ALL…but look to see which was healthiest
A study has found that repeatedly switching between a low-fat diet and a high-fat diet results in greater health and a longer lifespan than not dieting at all.
Many have suggested yo-yo dieting, with its repeated weight loss and gain, may more negatively affect health and longevity than simply remaining obese and not dieting at all; this belief might discourage obese persons from dieting. However, researchers divided study mice into three dietary groups:
- one fed a consistent high-fat diet;
- another alternating between a low-fat and high-fat diet, mirroring people who yo-yo diet;
- and a third group given a consistent low-fat diet.
The high-fat group consumed more calories, weighed more, had greater body fat, experienced higher blood sugar, became pre-diabetic, and lived an average of 1.5 years.
The health profile of the yo-yo diet group worsened during the high-fat phases but bounced back during the low-fat phases, and they lived an average of 2.04 years.
Similarly, the healthy low-fat control group lived an average of 2.09 years.
This study was presented June 6, 2011 at the annual meeting of The Endocrine Society in Boston. It has not yet been published or posted.
Cutting Fat Just A Little Has Big Benefits Long-Term
SLIGHTLY LOWER FAT INTAKE MAY REDUCE DIABETES RISK
Researchers have found that, even without any resulting weight loss, a modest reduction in dietary fat alone may significantly increase insulin secretion, increase glucose tolerance, and increase insulin sensitivity – indicators of a decreased risk of diabetes type two.
Participants were placed on one of two diets with only minor differences in the content of fat and carbohydrates. These diets were eucaloric, meaning their calories were tightly controlled so that body weight would not change during the eight-week study.
In addition, during analysis, the team took into account even minor, short-term fluctuations in body weight. One diet was 55 percent carbohydrate and 27 percent fat and the other was 43 percent carbohydrate and 39 percent fat.
The lower-fat diet produced better insulin sensitivity even without weight loss. Further study is needed to determine the exact mechanism involved, but these results suggest that an upper limit of dietary fat of about 27 percent might lower the long-term risk of diabetes type two. This just-released study will be published in a future issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition but is available online now at http://bit.ly/jUN0Wd with subscription or fee.
Study: Why Vitamin D May Help Kids
The majority of obese adolescents are vitamin D deficient, which increases their risk of diabetes, hypertension, cancer, cardiovascular disease, according to new study published online ahead of print in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
Researchers at Hasbro Children’s Hospital who conducted the study also said vitamin D status is significantly associated with muscle power/force, and a deficiency may interfere with the obese adolescent’s ability to increase physical activity. They called for increased surveillance of vitamin D levels in adolescents and further studies to determine if normalizing vitamin D levels will help to lower the health risks associated with obesity.
The researchers examined the prevalence of low vitamin D status among 68 obese adolescents and examined the impact of treatment of low vitamin D status in the patients. They found low vitamin D status was present in all of the girls (72% deficient & 28% insufficient) and in 91 percent of the boys (69% & 22% insufficient).
Of those with vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency, 43 patients had a repeat measurement of vitamin D level after treatment. While there was a significant increase in vitamin D levels following treatment, serum vitamin D levels normalized in only 28% of the patients. Repeat multiple courses of vitamin D treatment in the patients who did not normalize their vitamin D levels after initial course, failed to normalize their low vitamin D status.
The researchers said the association between obesity and low vitamin D status also may be due to obese individuals having fewer outdoor activities than lean individuals and therefore, less sun exposure.
They also theorized obese adolescents don’t eat enough vitamin D-rich foods such oily fish, eggs and fortified dairy products and breakfast cereals.
Posted in these publications: News, Science & Research, Children, Vitamin D, Vitamins/Minerals, Healthy, Diet, Nutrition, Cancer, Heart Health, Cardiovascular, Diabetes, Egg, Fortification, Dairy, Breakfast Cereal, Bakery / Cereal, Cereal, Fish, Seafood, Obesity, Weight Management
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Is Drinking Diet Soda Worth The Risk?
Diet soda may not be the healthier alternative many had hoped. A new study suggests that the popular drinks may increase the risk for stroke, myocardial infarction, and vascular death.
“People who had diet soda every day experienced a 61% higher risk of vascular events than those who reported drinking no soda,” lead investigator Hannah Gardener, ScD, an epidemiologist from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Florida, told reporters attending a news conference here at the International Stroke Conference.
The risk persisted after controlling for metabolic syndrome, peripheral vascular disease, and cardiac disease history (relative risk, 1.48; 95% confidence interval, 1.03 – 2.12).
“This is the first report of this association,” said American Stroke Association national spokesperson Larry Goldstein, MD. “I think that it’s always good to do things in moderation. People should look at this information and consider it in the context of their other risk factors.”
The researchers looked at more than 2500 people from the multiethnic Northern Manhattan Study. Participants were asked to report how much and what kind of soda they drank.
During an average follow-up of 9.3 years, 559 vascular events occurred, including ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke.
The researchers also observed a marginally significant increased risk for vascular events among those who consumed diet soda daily and regular soda once or more a month (adjusted relative risk, 1.74; 95% confidence interval, 0.96 – 3.16).
As reported by Medscape Medical News, previous studies have suggested a link between diet soda consumption and the risk for metabolic syndrome and diabetes. But this is the first time diet drinks have been associated with vascular events.
“This is an observational study and not a prospective randomized trial,” Dr. Goldstein, from the Duke Stroke Center, in Durham, North Carolina, pointed out. “This is an association and not yet a proven causal relationship.”
The investigators acknowledge that additional studies are needed. The potential mechanisms for the association between diet soda and vascular events remain unknown.
What should clinicians advise patients on the basis of the information we have today? Steven Greenberg, MD, from Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, suggests that patients start by concentrating on a healthy diet and regular exercise. “Once the metabolic syndrome is under control and any risk of diabetes, then we can consider cutting back on soda consumption.” Dr. Greenberg is the vice chair of the International Stroke Conference Committee, and during an interview he suggested that patients shouldn’t rush to eliminate diet drinks.
“I do think this is a wake-up call, though,” he said, “and we need to start paying closer attention.”
American Stroke Association International Stroke Conference. Abstract # P55. News conference February 9, 2011.
Sugar-Sweetened Drinks Linked to Diabetes
SUGAR-SWEETENED, BUT NOT DIET DRINKS LINKED TO DIABETES
A study has confirmed prior research showing an increased risk of diabetes type 2 from consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and has finally clarified the previously unclear relationship between artificially sweetened drinks and diabetes by showing no greater risk when confounding factors are excluded.
Compared to people who fall into the lowest quarter of consumption, those in the highest quarter of sugar-sweetened beverage intake showed a 25 percent greater risk of diabetes 2; when other confounding factors were excluded, the risk remained 24 percent higher.
Compared to the lowest intake quartile, those in the highest intake quartile of artificially-sweetened beverages showed a higher diabetes risk before adjustment; but when confounding factors were excluded, the risk dropped to statistically insignificant. (Confounding factors are those that could increase or lower the risk and therefore, skew the results; examples include multivitamin use, family history of the disease, health status, dieting, body mass index and other factors.)
Beverages classified
as sugar-sweetened included lemonade, fruit punches and fruit drinks.
Released March 23, 2011 by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, this study will appear in a future issue but is available now at http://bit.ly/fOJIZs.
How Skipping A Meal Can Help You Stay Lean & Healthy
PERIODIC FASTING REDUCES CARDIOVASCULAR RISK
A 24-hour fast lowers blood levels of triglycerides and sugar, reducing the risk of both cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Previous research linked people who fast with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease; but this link could have resulted from other lifestyle factors among people inclined to fast. The new study, however, measured various factors during a 24-hour fast, and then measured those factors in the same group during an additional 24 hours on their regular diet – assuring no other lifestyle factors were involved.
Fasting also raised blood levels of human growth hormone (HGH) by 1300% in women and 2000% in men; this metabolic protein protects lean muscle and metabolic balance.
Also, 24-hour fasting raised total blood cholesterol by increasing LDL or bad cholesterol by 14 percent, and HDL or good cholesterol by 6%; this indicates that, instead of utilizing blood sugar for fuel, the fasting body releases stored cholesterol to burn fat for fuel. This reduces fat cells, further reducing diabetes risk.
This study was presented April 4, 2011 in New Orleans at the annual sessions of the American College of Cardiology but has not yet been published.
Tips on How to Reduce Your Exposure to BPA
This article appeared following the publicity on how to reduce blood levels of BPA simply by eating fresh vs. canned food.
BPA is found in some water bottles, plastic food storage containers, plastic food wrap, sealing wrap and inside of food cans (the white plastic-like liner you see in cans) and thermal receipt paper. BPA is a hormone disruptor that is associated with at least heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer, infertility and ADHD.
Valuable tips to help you and your family cut back on your exposure to BPA are highlighted in blue. While these suggestions are a good start, they only addresses food sources of BPA. Our bodies are exposed to BPA from non-food sources daily. One doctor suggests a more zen approach to looking at the situation – “we can’t be perfect, but we can be better.”
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Eat Fresh
March 30, 2011 — Families who gave up canned foods and food and beverages prepared and packaged using plastic containers saw their levels of a hormone-disrupting chemical fall by 66%, a new study shows. All it took was three days of eating only freshly prepared, organic foods.
The chemical bisphenol A (BPA) is found in many kinds of plastic food packaging, such as some water bottles, food storage containers, and sealing wrap. It is also used to line the inside of food cans.
BPA is an endocrine-disrupting chemical that has been associated with a host of health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer, and infertility in adults, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.
“The study provides clear evidence that food packaging is the major source of people’s exposure to bisphenol A and the phthalate known as DEHP,” says study researcher Ruthann A. Rudel, MS, director of research for the Silent Spring Institute in Newton, Mass.
Phthalates are chemicals that make plastics strong, transparent, and clear.
“And that we found just by substituting fresh foods with limited packaging for three days, we reduced exposure levels in these participants by more than half,” Rudel says.
The study is published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.
Avoiding Sources of BPA
For the study, researchers from Silent Spring and the Breast Cancer Fund, in San Francisco, recruited 20 people from five different families in the San Francisco area by posting on listserv sites.
The families were chosen based on answers to questions about how often they ate food from cans, drank water from plastic bottles, drank from an office water cooler, ate restaurant meals, or microwaved in plastic containers — all sources of exposure to BPA and phthalates.
Monica Laurlund, 40, from Alamo, Calif., signed up her son, daughter, and husband because breast cancer runs on both sides of their family.
“To me, it seemed like an interesting way to find out if I’m being as healthy as I can be,” she says.
Researchers took urine samples from each family member before, during, and after the study to check for levels of BPA and other chemicals found in plastics.
For three days, a caterer who had been specially coached to avoid preparing food exposed to chemicals from plastics delivered meals prepared from fresh and organic fruits, vegetables, grains, and meats.
- The cooks were instructed to avoid contact with plastic utensils, and nonstick cookware and foods had to be stored in glass containers with BPA-free plastic lids. Researchers even told food preparers not to overfill the containers so the food wouldn’t touch the plastic lid.
- Microwaving in plastic was out; so was using coffee makers with plastic parts. Coffee drinkers got their morning coffee from French presses or ceramic drip models.
- Participating families gave up water in plastic bottles in favor of stainless steel.
- Eating out was also avoided since other studies have shown some restaurant meals to be high in BPA.
By the end of the study, urine tests showed the average BPA level dropped 66%, from 3.7 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) to 1.2 ng/mL. Levels of DEHP metabolites dropped by about half, from 57 ng/mL to 25 ng/ML.
People who started the study with the highest BPA levels saw even bigger reductions — 76% for BPA and about 95% for DEHP metabolites.
“Especially after finding out the results, we have completely eliminated the plastics and the canned food,” Laurland says. “It’s really very simple things, and overall, those things are healthier for you anyway.”
“What sold me on it is that I can easily take that toxic chemical out of my body and I don’t have to worry about it,” she says.
Why Worry About BPA?
Participants saw their levels drop, but science still doesn’t know whether or not that matters.
“What the question is, is exactly how much risk, and to whom, from this kind of exposure? We’re at a point where that’s still emerging,” Rudel says.
Still, the existing science has been compelling enough for Canada, which banned the use of BPA in baby bottles in 2008.
In the U.S., Eden Organic has started to sell foods in BPA-free cans. Several states have acted to limit the use of BPA, and similar bills are pending around the country.
The FDA is still studying that question, but so far, says that there’s no need for families to change how they eat.
The food industry supports that statement.
“We agree with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that foods packaged in cans with epoxy linings that utilize BPA are safe, and that there is no need for consumers to change their consumption habits,” the Grocery Manufacturers Association says in a statement. “That position is supported by the findings of numerous food safety agencies around the globe, such as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in the EU, Germany, Japan, UK, Canada, and Australia-New Zealand, which have all repeatedly confirmed the safety of BPA and continue to reaffirm the safety of BPA, including at levels comparable to those found in the exposure survey published in EHP.”
What Studies Show
Animal studies have shown an association with high and low levels of BPA with problems in neurodevelopment and reproductive development.
In 2008, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a study that found that adults with the highest levels of BPA in the study had more than twice the risk of getting diabetes as adults with the lowest levels.
But most studies such as these can only show associations; they can’t prove that the chemicals are directly causing health problems.
Nira Ben-Jonathan, PhD, a professor of cell and cancer biology at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in Ohio, has studied what happens to cells when they are exposed to BPA in test tubes.
In one study, her team found that BPA exposure protected breast cancer cells from chemotherapy. In another, it made cells ignore a hormone that protects against the development of diabetes.
Even seeing those changes in cells, she said she had reservations about the message of this study.
“Interesting, but not as striking as one would expect,” says Ben-Jonathan, who reviewed the study for WebMD. She said she found it suspicious that even after adhering to such a strict regimen that some chemical traces remained.
“That suggests to me that they’re also getting BPA from nonfood sources,” she says.
And if that’s the case, she wonders, is it practical to advise people to make such big changes if it’s not possible to really avoid the chemical?
“To tell people only to use organic food and they can reduce their BPA levels, I don’t think so,” she says. “It’s so prevalent. … It’s not just food.”
She said the greatest good could be accomplished if manufacturers made packaging changes.
“We are in an industrial world. We are surrounded by plastics. It’s very difficult to avoid it. I think that the food industry and the chemical industry should really avoid using bisphenol A if they can find an alternative. Not all plastics can do this,” she says.
The Can Manufacturers Institute says they are working on alternatives.
Advice for Consumers
Richard W. Stahlhut, MD, MPH, an environmental health researcher and preventive medicine specialist at the University of Rochester School of Medicine in New York, who has studied BPA exposure, says he tries to take “a Zen approach.”
Stahlhut says when he’s at home he tries to avoid plastics unless he needs them. If he can’t avoid plastics, he tries not to worry too much about it.
“You can’t be perfect, but you can be better,” he says.
Stahlhut, who reviewed the study, says it appears to be well done and shows that you can make a big dent in BPA exposure by making straightforward changes to how you cook and eat.
And that those reductions are probably prudent, even though knowledge about BPA is still incomplete and probably will be for decades to come.
“Since it takes 10, 20, 30 years to find out, the best approach is that if you don’t need an exposure, reduce it when you can. And when you can’t, be Zen about it, because we don’t know for sure that it’s bad anyway.”
In particular, experts said, it’s probably smart to avoid heating food in plastic containers or covered in plastic wrap, since heating makes the chemicals in plastic break down more quickly and leach into food.
“Just say no. But be Zen about it,” he says. “Because that’s where we are in history. 100 years from now, we’ll have new problems, but these are the ones we have now.”
SOURCES:
Rudel, R. Environmental Health Sciences, March 30, 2011.
Ruthann A. Rudel, MS, director of research, Silent Spring Institute, Boston.
Monica Laurlund, study participant, Alamo, Calif.
Statement, Grocery Manufacturers Association.
Lang, I. Journal of the American Medical Association, Sept. 16, 2008.
FDA: “Update on Bisphenol A for Use in Food Contact Application.”
Stahlhut, R. Environmental Health Perspectives, May 2009.
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Substantial Fish Intake May Protect Against Obesity
SUBSTANTIAL FISH INTAKE MAY PROTECT AGAINST OBESITY RISKS
A diet very high in fish that are rich in the omega-3, polyunsaturated fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) helps protect against chronic diseases related to obesity such as diabetes and heart disease, found a study of 330 Yup’ik Eskimos in Alaska.
70% of this group is overweight or obese, the same percentage as in the general U.S. population; and like obese Americans elsewhere, those with low DHA and EPA levels show higher blood levels of triglycerides and C-reactive protein (an inflammation indicator linked to heart disease and cancer). However, many Yup’ik Eskimos consume sufficient fish to get 20 times the omega-3 fat consumed in the lower 48 states and data analyses showed that obese members of this population with high blood levels of omega-3 fats did not exhibit these usual chronic effects of obesity.
Also, despite identical prevalence of obesity linked to diabetes, the prevalence of diabetes 2 in this population is about 57% lower.
This just-released study will appear in a future print issue of the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition but is online now at http://bit.ly/f7LYIK.
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Your Heart Health Needs More than 6 Hours of Sleep
INSUFFICIENT SLEEP INCREASES RISK OF STROKE AND HEART ATTACK
Researchers conclude that chronically getting less than six hours of sleep a night produces hormones and chemicals in the body that are associated with greater risks of developing high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, heart attacks, strokes, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity.
In fact, regularly sleeping less than six hours a night can result in a 48% higher risk of developing or dying of heart disease and a 15% greater risk of developing or dying of a stroke.
Sleeping over nine hours a night has been linked to illness, including cardiovascular disease.
It is the chronic lack of sufficient sleep that produces long-term risk, not an occasional late night and early morning. The study analyzed data from 470,000 participants from eight countries. This study was released online February 8, 2011 by the European Heart Journal and will appear in a future print issue. It is available online now at http://bit.ly/erusY4 without charge.
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Diabetics Put the Tea Kettle On
Diabetics: have you enjoyed your chamomile tea yet?
Drinking chamomile tea daily with meals may help prevent the complications of diabetes, which include loss of vision, nerve damage and kidney damage. This possibilty was raised when chamomile extract was fed to diabetic rats and it lowered levels of two substances associated with increased diabetic complications.
Researchers reported this study in the September 10, 2008 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
CDC Reports 35% of American are Prediabetic
CDC REPORTS 35% OF AMERICANS HAVE PREDIABETES
A newly released, statistical analysis by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has found that 26 million Americans now have diabetes and an estimated 79 million have prediabetes.
This means that, among Americans aged 20 and over, 35% have prediabetes.
Further, the CDC reports that an estimated 27% of all those with full-blown diabetes do not know they have the disease and therefore, are not being treated. (Diabetes involves the gradual loss of ability to use and produce insulin. Risk factors include lack of exercise, obesity, older age, family history and race or ethnicity.)
The CDC cautioned against direct comparisons with previous years’ figures because new diagnostic methods are adding more people to the list of those afflicted and better treatments are resulting in patients living longer with diabetes. However, in 2008, the CDC reported that 23.6 million Americans had prediabetes (26 million now) or 7.8% of the population (8% now).
In a study published last year, the CDC projected that 1/3 of the US population could have diabetes by 2050. The report was released January 26, 2011 and is available online now at http://bit.ly/hk8yIy without charge.
Ways to Support Healthy Longevity
Several Habits To Support Longevity
From Prevention Magazine:
1. Cut out the bad fat.
Bad fat being saturated and trans fats. Good fats like Omega 3 essential fatty acids (EFA) are really important for heart, brain and skin health. For an excellent source of Omega 3 EFA, see Antarcti-Krill. Another type of “good fat” are the monounsaturated fats like those from nuts, avocados and olive oil.
2. Reduce your “added” sugar intake.
Too much “added” sugar can result in additional wrinkles because sugar binds to proteins in skin, damaging collagen. To avoid “added sugars,” reduce your consumption of packaged foods and any resulting “added sugar” to no more than 160 calories per day. That would be equivalent to 1 can of soda per day.
3. Develop your friendships.
Close friendships are actually more important in your overall longevity than strong family ties.
4. Get to bed on time.
Lack of sleep affects aging. It adversely affects weight, diabetes and high blood pressure. To help you get the sleep you need, try Z-Caps.
5. Reduce your stress.
Increased stress builds hormones in the blood stream which delay wound healing, increase blood pressure, reduce cognitive function memory, adversely affect mood and learning. To help you cope with stress, try InSight Natural or InSight HT.
Try deep breathing at least twice a day to support healthy stress management.
6. Listen to your iPod at <50% volume.
Listening to loud music can result in early hearing loss. Experts suggest listening to your iPod at <50% volume and invest in a good set of noise canceling headsets so that you can still hear the music, but at a lower and safer volume level.
How Betulin May Help You
BIRCH BARK INGREDIENT HAS STRONG METABOLIC BENEFITS
According to a new study, a component in the bark of birch trees may lower cholesterol, suppress diet-induced obesity, improve insulin sensitivity and slow the development of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). Although the research was conducted on mice, the benefits would be substantial if further work finds the effects hold for humans. For example, betulin decreased cholesterol in the liver, blood and fat to a greater extent than lovastatin, a widely prescribed drug class for treating high cholesterol.
The birch ingredient also made the mice more sensitive to insulin, which may help prevent diabetes, and caused them to burn more calories and lose weight. It also reduced plaque build-up in the arteries. Betulin alters the expression of genes involved in the biosynthesis of cholesterol, triglycerides and fatty acids.
Although not sold as a supplement, betulin appears to have low toxicity and is a readily available compound already in use as a precursor in the manufacture of some drugs. This study was published in the January 5, 2011 issue of the journal, Cell Metabolism. The full study is available online now at http://bit.ly/hYelkF without charge.
Could You Be Consuming Harmful Trans Fats Unknowingly?
TRANS FAT-FREE LABELS HIDE HARMFUL AMOUNTS
A study found substantial amounts of trans fat in many foods labeled trans fat-free. Researchers suggested that the government labeling protocol deceives many consumers who unknowingly exceed the healthy recommended intake of 1.11 grams a day.
Trans fats, even when consumed in small quantities increase the risks of coronary artery disease, sudden cardiac death and diabetes. Current FDA regulation requires that fat contents of more than five grams be listed in one gram increments; contents under five grams be listed in 0.5 gram increments; and amounts under 0.5 grams be listed as zero grams of fat. However, zero-fat-labeled foods contain up to 0.49 grams of trans fat.
Consumption of just three such food items (that may contain up to .49 gms of trans fat, but are legally labeled as “O g”) would total 1.47 grams of trans fat, which is considered a medically harmful daily quantity.
While these amounts seem small, research shows that raising daily trans fat consumption from 0.9 to 2.1 percent will increase the risk of cardiovascular disease by 30 percent.
This study was published in the January/February 2011 issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion. It is available at http://bit.ly/ijZBoJ.
How to Reduce Hypertension in Diabetics
DASH DIET LOWERS CARDIOVASCULAR RISK AMONG DIABETICS
A study has shown that type 2 diabetic patients who follow the DASH diet lower a host of cardiovascular risk factors. (DASH – Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension – is an eating plan designed to combat high blood pressure and involves low salt intake, high consumption of fruits and vegetables and low-fat or no-fat dairy; it has been shown to reduce high blood pressure within 14 days.)
Researchers measured the specific effects of the DASH diet on 31 type 2 diabetics and found that various metabolic risk factors were altered significantly. In just eight weeks, participants had lower body weights; smaller waist circumferences; lower fasting blood glucose levels; higher HDL (good) cholester
ol levels; lower LDL (bad) cholesterol readings; lower systolic (upper) blood pressure readings; and reduced diastolic (lower) blood pressure scores.
The journal, Diabetes Care, published this study in its January 1, 2011 issue and it can be read online now at http://bit.ly/g8Se2g.
1 Week of Salt Reduction Can Substantially Lower Health Risks
SALT REDUCTION LOWERS BLOOD PRESSURE IN DIABETICS:
A study concludes that substantially limiting salt (sodium) intake for about a week lowers existing high blood pressure in both type 1 and type 2 diabetics, which in turn reduces other diabetic risks, including stroke, heart attack and diabetic kidney disease.
This review noted that a daily salt reduction of 8.5 mg resulted in a drop in blood pressure similar to that achieved with blood pressure medications. (Diabetics are more likely to develop high blood pressure.) The study team recommended that diabetics reduce their salt intake to at least 5 to 6 grams a day – which is the current guideline for the general population – and preferably even lower.
Reducing salt intake can be challenging for anyone. Few people are aware that the majority of salt intake comes from processed foods, implying that the focus should be less on the shaker and more on the supermarket and chain restaurant. This study was published in the December, 2010 issue of The Cochrane Library. It can be read online now at http://bit.ly/gfQxAq.
What You Should Know About Dietary Cholesterol
SAFETY OF DIETARY CHOLESTEROL QUESTIONED
Increasingly, people view dietary sources of cholesterol, such as eggs, as harmless. But a study suggests cholesterol-rich foods should be eaten rarely, especially patients at risk of cardiovascular disease. Research had shown moderate egg consumption to have little effect on fasting cholesterol, indicating low risk. However, this new review found long-term risks from mealtime increases in cholesterol, saturated fats, oxidative stress and inflammation, following cholesterol consumption. After meals, dietary cholesterol increases susceptibility of LDL (bad cholesterol) to oxidation, raises post-meal blood fats, and increases the adverse effects of dietary saturated fat. Moreover, diabetics who consumed one egg a day doubled their risk compared to those who ate less than one egg weekly.
Researchers confirmed earlier recommendations that dietary cholesterol be limited to 200mg a day, pointing out that a single large egg yolk contains 275mg of cholesterol, 125mg more than a KFC Double Down. Researchers concluded that eliminating egg yolks from the diet after a stroke or heart attack is akin to quitting smoking after a lung cancer diagnosis. The study was published in the November, 2010 issue of the Canadian Journal of Cardiology and is available online free at http://bit.ly/dveu1A.
Vitamin C Deficiency & Kidney Problems
A study has found that kidney dysfunction is associated with a low blood level of vitamin C.
Also, low blood levels of vitamin C may cause damage, from greater oxidative stress, among kidney disease patients. It was noted that diabetic patients had consistently reduced levels of vitamin C. Lower blood levels of vitamin C have previously been linked to a greater risk of death from cardiovascular disease. People with higher levels of vitamin C have been found to have a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and to have a greater life expectancy. Vitamin C is an essential nutrient in humans and acts as an antioxidant, protecting the body against oxidative stress. Most species can synthesize vitamin C but humans cannot.
A brief summary of this study was released September 3, 2010 by the journal, Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation but the study will not be published in the print journal until a future issue. The full-text version is currently available online at http://bit.ly/bPgeer.
Proof that Fish Oils Fight Inflammation & Diabetes
Finally, a study has identified the mechanism by which omega-3 fatty acids appear to effectively fight chronic inflammation, insulin resistance and diabetes. The study found that there is a key receptor in obese body fat and that omega-3 oils – specifically docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) – activate this receptor, which results in broad anti-inflammatory effects and improved systemic insulin sensitivity. (There is a strong connection between obesity and diabetes.)
The effect of fish oil was powerful, according to the researchers, and, “The omega-3 fatty acids switch on the receptor, killing the inflammatory response.” The study team warned that more study is required to determine how much fish oil constitutes a safe and effective dose.
Researchers suggested that the study could eventually lead to a natural dietary remedy for the more than 23 million Americans who suffer from diabetes. This study was published in the Friday, September 3, 2010 issue of the journal, Cell. The full-text version is now available online without fee at http://bit.ly/9TQ09d.
Cardiometabolic Risks
SUGAR-SWEETENED BEVERAGES LINKED TO RISKS OF DIABETES AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
A new study suggests that sugar-sweetened drinks may play a role in cardiometabolic risk. Cardiometabolic risk is a constellation of health factors that may raise the risk of diabetes 2 and cardiovascular disease.
Researchers examined the relation between cardiometabolic risk factors and low-fat milk, whole-fat milk, fruit juice and sugar-sweetened beverages. Whole milk consumption was associated with a reduced risk of high triglycerides. But sugar-sweetened drinks were linked to high triglycerides, high LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol, high blood pressure and high waist circumference – all risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
While the study did not prove a cause-and-effect relation, the study team suggested recommendations to limit the consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks to help reduce these risk factors.
This study was released August 11, 2010 but will not be published in print until a future issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. It is available online now at http://bit.ly/aUOxQJ.
How to Avoid Dementia
A new study has determined the individual percentages by which a variety of lifestyle changes can reduce the risk of dementia and suggests that these interventions – in the absence of a new treatment for the mind-robbing disease – are likely to have the greatest impact on reducing dementia levels in the future.
The study assessed previously identified risk factors such as depression, diet, alcohol consumption, educational level and vascular factors, which include heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and high cholesterol.
Results found that three changes together – eliminating depression, diabetes and increasing fruit & vegetable consumption – reduced dementia risk by a full 21%.
- Depression alone accounted for a 10% risk.
- Higher education was linked to an 18% lower risk.
- Genetic tendency towards dementia accounts for 7% of cases.
This study was released August 5, 2010 and will be published in a future issue of the British Medical Journal. The journal already has made the full-text version of this important study available to the public, online at http://bit.ly/c3p7KL.
Vitamins K1 & K2 Reduce Diabetes Risk
A study found that higher intakes of phylloquinone and menaquinone (also known as Vitamin K1 and Vitamin K2) reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
The research covered a 10-year period and observed that those with the highest intake of phylloquinone had a 19% lower risk of diabetes compared to those with the lowest intake. To a lesser extent, menaquinone was linked to a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes which was further reduced with greater intake of menaquinone. Dietary deficiencies of vitamin K are rare; however, deficiencies are more common in those with liver disease, cystic fibrosis and inflammatory bowel diseases and are linked to long-term aspirin use.
Phylloquinone, or vitamin K1, is found chiefly in leafy green vegetables such as spinach, Swiss chard and brassica (vegetables such as cabbage, kale, cauliflower, broccoli and Brussels sprouts). Some fruits such as avocado and kiwi are also high in vitamin K1. Menaquinone, or vitamin K2, is found in meat, eggs, dairy and natto (fermented soybeans). The study will be published in the August 2010 issue of the journal, Diabetes Care. It is now available online at http://bit.ly/aq90QB.
Blueberries Can Reduce Cardiovascular Risk
A small study found that blueberry consumption by diet alone reduces key cardiovascular disease risk factors in obese men and women with metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a combination of medical disorders that increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Everyday for 8 weeks, 48 participants consumed a beverage comprised of 960 mL of water, 50 gm of freeze-dried blueberries and about 350 gm of fresh blueberries. Researchers found that, compared with the control group, the blueberry group showed lower systolic and diastolic readings – the upper and lower numbers in a blood pressure reading. They also found lower blood levels of LDL, or “bad cholesterol” in the blueberry group. The blood sugar levels were not affected.
The study concluded that “blueberries may improve selected features of metabolic syndrome and related cardiovascular risk factors,” at doses that can be achieved through food consumption alone. This study was released July 21, 2010 by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and is available to read online, with journal subscription at: http://bit.ly/dAf3BK.
Do You Know How Much Vitamin D Your Body Needs?
Two thirds of the world’s population, including about half the people in North America and Western Europe, get an insufficient supply of vitamin D, according to vitamin D expert Anthony Norman, PhD.
His article appeared in the July, 2010 issue of Endocrine Today, a monthly newspaper about diabetes and endocrine disorders. Several studies have reported reduced risks of breast cancer, colon cancer and type 1 diabetes with adequate levels of vitamin D, the positive effect generally occurring within five years of beginning to get an adequate vitamin D intake, writes Norman.
It was Norman’s lab that discovered, in 1967, that vitamin D is converted by the body into a steroid hormone; and later discovered that 37 body organs respond to it biologically.
Vitamin D is found in very few foods naturally – fish, eggs and cod liver oil – which is why some other foods such as milk, orange juice, some yogurts and some breakfast foods are fortified with it.
Currently, the recommended daily intake of vitamin D is:
- 200 international units (IU) for people up to 50 years old;
- 400 IU for people 51 to 70 years old; and
- 600 IU for people over 70 years old.
But many scientists suggest that amounts as high as 2,000 to 4,000 IU are required for optimal health, levels which cannot be achieved through food alone; a combination of food, sunshine and supplements may be needed to achieve these levels.
Metformin Increases Risk of Vitamin B12 Deficiency
Long term use of metformin, the commonly prescribed “cornerstone” type 2 diabetes drug, increases the risk of vitamin B12 deficiency.
A deficiency of this vitamin raises levels of the amino acid homocysteine in the blood; higher levels are considered a risk factor for heart disease.
Metformin causes malabsorption of vitamin B12 and this negative effect increases over time. The study establishing this link was posted online at the site of the British Medical Journal on May 20, 2010 and the full-text version is now available at: http://bit.ly/aml8wr.