Widespread Ignorance About Key Messages Concerning Diet And Cancer

New research on public perceptions about cancer reveals that 50-year-old ideas still hold sway while many current lifestyle messages are not getting through.

On the positive side, however, the vast majority of people now believe cancer is curable.

Experts at the University of Leicester and Leicester's Hospitals carried out the research to assess patients' beliefs about the causes of cancer, which was funded by the Leicestershire-based charity Hope Against Cancer.

The study, published online in the journal Clinical Oncology, aimed to compare knowledge about the outcome of cancer treatment and beliefs about the causes of cancer among British South Asian cancer patients and beliefs held by British White cancer patients and the impact of these beliefs upon the patients' mental health.

Between September 2007 and January 2010, 279 patients, who were aware they had cancer, entered the study, funded by Leicestershire-based charity Hope Against Cancer, at the Leicestershire Cancer Centre. Researchers found that:

• Across both groups there was an over emphasis on pollution, stress and injury as causes of cancer
• Almost one quarter of the group believed cancer was caused by injury, reflecting research carried out over half a century ago
• 20% believed that surgery could cause cancer to spread
• Both cohorts believed religion/fate played a part in cancer
• 30% of the group gave credence to alternative medicine being as effective as current clinical procedures
• It was generally accepted that smoking can cause cancer
• There was widespread lack of awareness about the roles diet, obesity and lack of exercise play in the development of the disease.

The vast majority believed cancer to be curable, with only 10.6% of the British South Asian group and 2.7% of the British White group thinking it was incurable. Out of the total sample, 93% understood the advantages of early screening.

Many of the two groups' assumptions about cancer were held in common. There was widespread over-emphasis on environmental pollution, stress and injury as triggers for cancer. Environmental pollution is a relatively minor cause of cancer, while there is no evidence that stress or injury can cause cancer.

Twenty per cent of the sample believed wrongly that treatment, in particular surgery, caused the cancer to spread and this was a cause of significant depression among British South Asians and anxiety across both groups.

The perceived role of religion in the cause of and recovery from cancer was more prevalent among the British South Asians, though a small cohort of the British White patients had some belief in Fate.

Nearly 30% of the total sample thought alternative treatments could be as effective as surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. This view was held by almost twice as many British South Asian patients as British White patients.

The way patients understand cancer can have a major impact on how they cope with it psychologically. This study is part of a wider investigation with the long-term aim of improving psychological support of cancer patients.

Professor Paul Symonds, of the Department for Cancer Studies and Molecular Medicine at the University of Leicester, commented: "It is clear that there is a continual need for education into the causes of cancer. The good news is that the majority of the sample believed that cancer was curable and screening effective, while 84% appreciated that smoking could cause cancer.

"This shows that some messages are getting through, but we clearly have more work to do in educating the public on the effect of diet and obesity."

Karen Lord, PhD research student working on the project, said: "It is vital that those diagnosed with cancer have accurate information about treatment options so that they can make informed decisions about their care.

"Myths such as the belief that surgery causes cancer to spread and that alternative treatment is as effective as conventional treatments should be challenged."

Wendi Stevens, Hope Against Cancer Co-ordinator, added: "This research has highlighted some interesting views relating to cancer. Hope Against Cancer funds a wide range of research looking into treatment, but we believe it is also important to look at cause and education as well in the hope that this knowledge can be used to cut the incidence of cancer in the future."
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/235134.php

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Slideshow: Fat-Fighting Foods

http://www.webmd.com/diet/slideshow-fat-fighting-foods?ecd=soc_fb_091611_9AM_ssbellyfat

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Sleep Disorders Affect 40 Percent Of Canadians

Sleep disorders affect 40% of adult Canadians according to a study conducted by Universite Laval researchers under the supervision of Dr. Charles M. Morin. The work of Dr. Morin and his colleagues will be presented at the 4th World Congress on Sleep Medicine which runs September 10-14 in Quebec City, Canada.

Dr. Morin's team surveyed a sample of 2,000 people across the country to draw a portrait of Canadians' sleep quality.

Their data revealed that 40% of respondents had experienced one or more symptoms of insomnia at least three times a week in the preceding month, i.e., taking more than 30 minutes to fall asleep, being awake for periods longer than 30 minutes during the night, or waking up at least 30 minutes before they had planned. Moreover, 20% of the participants said they were unsatisfied with the quality of their sleep, and 13.4% of respondents displayed all the symptoms required to diagnose insomnia.

Although many respondents experienced at least one symptom of insomnia, only 13% said they had consulted a healthcare professional about it. The survey data revealed that Canadians use prescription medicine (10%), natural products (9%), over-the-counter drugs (7%), or alcohol (5%) to treat their sleep problems.

Surprisingly, the researchers observed that 9.5% of French speakers suffered from insomnia compared to 14.3% of English speakers. However, French speakers take more prescribed sedatives (13% vs. 9%) and natural products (16% vs. 7%) than English-speaking Canadians.

"Many people who suffer from insomnia try to treat the problem themselves rather than consulting a healthcare professional," said Dr. Morin, a professor and researcher at Université Laval's School of Psychology. "This is not a good idea because we don't know the risks and benefits of products that have not been approved by government health agencies," he explained.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/234170.php

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Wide Waists Trim Lifespan For Women

Ever since the mid-1970s when Harvard initiated what is now known as "The Nurses Study" we've been told that white women with waists over 40 inches, raised their risk of early death by 40% vs. their slimmer sisters who maintained waists in the 26 to 27 inch measure.

However, significant new data just published in the New England Journal of Medicine (Sept. 8) lead by Dr. Julie Palmer, shows that black women are equally at risk.

"There is really no surprise here. Cardiovascular disease, diabetes and the countless other deadly ills directly related to obesity are color-blind. For the record, they are sex-blind as well," say boomer generation health experts Dian Griesel, Ph.D. and Tom Griesel and authors of the new book, TurboCharged: Accelerate Your Fat Burning Metabolism, Get Lean Fast and Leave Diet and Exercise Rules in the Dust (April 2011, BSH).

Pounds add up. Studies are showing that obesity is starting earlier than ever. Our children ages 12-18 are reported as 18% being obese and baby boomers the 81 million born between 1946-1964-are polled at a whopping 66%+ being either obese or overweight.

"Obesity is a medical time bomb. It threatens our lives, livelihoods, financial stability, families and our society at large," say the Griesels. "A look around tells us that the status quo of dieting is simply not working. Apparently, we all still believe we need to clear our plate which wouldn't be a bad idea if it was filled with fruits and vegetables, which sadly, too often is not the case."

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/234356.php

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An Apple or Pear a Day May Keep Strokes Away

Apples and pears may keep strokes away.

That's the conclusion of a Dutch study published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association in which researchers found that eating a lot of fruits and vegetables with white flesh may protect against stroke.

While previous studies have linked high consumption of fruits and vegetables with lower stroke risk, the researchers' prospective work is the first to examine associations of fruits and vegetable color groups with stroke.

The color of the edible portion of fruits and vegetables reflects the presence of beneficial phytochemicals such as carotenoids and flavonoids.

Researchers examined the link between fruits and vegetable color group consumption with 10-year stroke incidence in a population-based study of 20,069 adults, with an average age of 41. The participants were free of cardiovascular diseases at the start of the study and completed a 178-item food frequency questionnaire for the previous year.

Fruits and vegetables were classified in four color groups:

• Green, including dark leafy vegetables, cabbages and lettuces
• Orange/Yellow, which were mostly citrus fruits
• Red/Purple, which were mostly red vegetables
• White, of which 55 percent were apples and pears

During 10 years of follow-up, 233 strokes were documented. Green, orange/yellow and red/purple fruits and vegetables weren't related to stroke. However, the risk of stroke incidence was 52 percent lower for people with a high intake of white fruits and vegetables compared to people with a low intake.

Each 25 gram per day increase in white fruits and vegetable consumption was associated with a 9 percent lower risk of stroke. An average apple is 120 grams.

"To prevent stroke, it may be useful to consume considerable amounts of white fruits and vegetables," said Linda M. Oude Griep, M.Sc., lead author of the study and a postdoctoral fellow in human nutrition at Wageningen Uninversity in the Netherlands. "For example, eating one apple a day is an easy way to increase white fruits and vegetable intake.

"However, other fruits and vegetable color groups may protect against other chronic diseases. Therefore, it remains of importance to consume a lot of fruits and vegetables."

Apples and pears are high in dietary fiber and a flavonoid called quercetin. In the study, other foods in the white category were bananas, cauliflower, chicory and cucumber.

Potatoes were classified as a starch.

Previous research on the preventive health benefits of fruits and vegetables focused on the food's unique nutritional value and characteristics, such as the edible part of the plant, color, botanical family and its ability to provide antioxidants.

U.S. federal dietary guidelines include using color to assign nutritional value. The U.S. Preventive Health Services Taskforce recommends selecting each day vegetables from five subgroups: dark green, red/orange, legume, starchy and other vegetables.

Before the results are adopted into everyday practice, the findings should be confirmed through additional research, Oude Griep said. "It may be too early for physicians to advise patients to change their dietary habits based on these initial findings," she said.

An accompanying editorial notes that the finding should be interpreted with caution because food frequency questionnaires may not be reliable.

In addition, "the observed reduction in stroke risk might further be due to a generally healthier lifestyle of individuals consuming a diet rich in fruits and vegetables," writes Heike Wersching, M.D., M.Sc., of Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine at the University of Münster, in Germany.
Study co-authors are: W.M. Monique Verschuren, Ph.D.; Daan Kromhout, M.P.H., Ph.D.; Marga C. Ocké, Ph.D.; and Johanna M. Geleijnse, Ph.D. Author disclosures are on the manuscript.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110915163523.htm

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More Evidence That Spicing Up Broccoli Boosts Its Cancer-Fighting Power

Teaming fresh broccoli with a spicy food that contains the enzyme myrosinase significantly enhances each food's individual cancer-fighting power and ensures that absorption takes place in the upper part of the digestive system where you'll get the maximum health benefit, suggests a new University of Illinois study.

"To get this effect, spice up your broccoli with broccoli sprouts, mustard, horseradish, or wasabi. The spicier, the better; that means it's being effective," said Elizabeth Jeffery, a U of I professor of nutrition.

In the study, when fresh broccoli sprouts were eaten with broccoli powder, the scientists were able to measure bioactive compounds in the blood 30 minutes later. When these peaked at three hours, they were much higher when the foods were eaten together than when either was eaten alone. Urine samples corroborated the blood results, said Jenna Cramer, lead author of the study.

It's no secret that many people cook the benefits right out of broccoli instead of steaming it lightly for two to four minutes to protect its healthful properties, she said.

"However, this study shows that even if broccoli is overcooked, you can still boost its benefits by pairing it with another food that contains myrosinase," she said.

Myrosinase is the enzyme necessary to form sulforaphane, the vegetable's cancer-preventive component, co-author Margarita Teran-Garcia explained.

Note what happened with the fresh broccoli sprouts and broccoli powder eaten in this experiment. The powder doesn't contain myrosinase, but it does contain the precursor to the anti-cancer agent sulforaphane. Eaten together, the sprouts were able to lend their myrosinase to the powder. As predicted, both foods produced sulforaphane and provided greater anti-cancer benefit, Jeffery said.

Other foods that will boost broccoli's benefits if they are paired together include radishes, cabbage, arugula, watercress, and Brussels sprouts.

"Here's another benefit of protecting and enhancing the myrosinase in your foods," Jeffery said. "If myrosinase is present, sulforaphane is released in the ilium, the first part of your digestive system. Absorption happens well and quickly there, which is why we saw bioactivity in 30 minutes."

An earlier Jeffery study showed that microbiota are capable of releasing sulforaphane in the lower gut, but absorption happens more slowly in the colon than in the upper intestine, she said.

Scientists say that as little as three to five servings of broccoli a week provide a cancer-protective benefit.

"But it pays to spice it up for added benefits and find ways to make it appealing so you don't mind eating it if you're not a broccoli fan. I add fresh broccoli sprouts to sandwiches and add them as one of my pizza toppings after the pie is out of the oven," Cramer said.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110913091559.htm

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New Data Tests the Exercise 'Talk Test'

New research by University of New Hampshire exercise scientists confirms that a low-tech, easy-to-administer test is an effective tool for gauging exercise intensity, but that it does not correspond as neatly as previously assumed to other more objective tests. In a study published recently in the Journal of Sports Sciences, UNH associate professor of kinesiology Timothy Quinn and his former graduate student Benjamin Coons put the so-called "Talk Test" to the test.

Quinn and Coons set out to learn just how good this test, gaining in popularity over the past decade, is, and how it compared to two other laboratory-tested measures of intensity, the lactate threshold and the ventilatory threshold.

The researchers administered the Talk Test to healthy adults, having them read the Pledge of Allegiance while exercising at different intensities and rating how comfortable they were speaking. They found that when participants reported a positive Talk Test -- that they could still speak comfortably -- they were exercising at the lower end of established exercise intensity guidelines as measured by both heart rate and maximal oxygen consumption, or VO2 max. When participants became uncertain that they could still speak comfortably, they were exercising at the upper end of intensity guidelines.

This finding confirmed the effectiveness of the Talk Test. "If you can still talk comfortably, you're exercising in a zone that's appropriate for improving fitness in individuals beginning an exercise program," Quinn says. "The Talk Test is a good tool, and it's easy to use."

More surprising, however, was how the Talk Test compared to the lactate threshold, the point at which muscles can no longer metabolize and remove lactic acid as it builds during exercise, and the ventilatory threshold, which is characterized by sudden heavy breathing. While previous research involving the Talk Test has used the ventilatory threshold as the comparator, this study was the first to compare both the lactate and ventilatory thresholds with the Talk Test. Data showed that the Talk Test related best to the lactate threshold as compared to the ventilatory threshold

"Everybody's thought that the Talk Test related well to the ventilatory threshold," Quinn says. "And it does, to a certain degree. But different physiological phenomena occur at each threshold, and it is the phenomena associated with the lactate threshold that relate better to the different levels of the Talk Test."

Quinn says these findings on the relationship of the Talk Test to the lactate threshold make the Talk Test relevant to endurance athletes as well as beginning exercisers. "In order to enhance endurance performance, some training has to occur around the lactate threshold intensity level. When subjects in the study had difficulty talking, they were very close to that lactate threshold intensity. Because of this, athletes could gauge their intensity based on ability to talk comfortably."

"If you are beginning an exercise program and can still talk while you're exercising, you're doing OK," Quinn says. "But if you really want to improve, you've got to push a little bit harder."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110913122050.htm

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Study: Friendship Lessens Obesity

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Researchers at The Ohio State University Medical Center found that friendship may trigger a change in the brain to help weight loss, 10TV News reported on Tuesday.

Researchers Matthew During and Lei Cao learned from mice how to flip a biological switch to burn body fat, 10TV's Andrea Cambern reported.

"Most people have just heard the word 'fat' and it's always a bad thing," During said.

According to During, there are two kinds of fat; white fat that stores energy and brown fat, which burns it.

He said that lean people have more brown fat and finding a way to switch from white to brown is a holy grail of obesity research.

"Then you can eat more or eat the same and you'd start to lose weight," During said.

Researchers divided mice into two groups. One group went into typical cages. The other went into a big one, full of toys, mazes, tunnels, wheels, bedding, and other mice. The mice in the playground ended up with half the white fat of the control group. Though they were on a high-fat diet, they weighed 29 percent less.

During said their environment switched the brain to convert white fat to brown. Slimmer mice needed more than just exercise, they needed friends too.

"It's a combination of all those things. It's social interactions, physical activity, engagement in the world," During said.

He believed that the principle also applies to humans.

"The couch potato is not just you sitting on the couch eating a lot and watching TV," During said. "You're not engaging socially, so just to get out there, to involve yourself. Not just the physical activity, but the actual social involvement we believe is very important to activate this pathway."

During said that changing behavior was only half the answer. He hoped finding the brain switch may lead to new drugs so people can shed pounds and stay at a healthy weight.

The work was being published on Tuesday in the journal "Cell Metabolism."

http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/2011/09/06/columbus-obesity-study-friendship.html


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In More Socially Engaging Environment, White Fat Turns to Brown, Mouse Study Suggests

When mice are given a more engaging place to live with greater opportunities for social stimulation, some of their energy-storing white fat is transformed to energy-burning brown fat. As a result, the animals expend more energy and lose weight even as they eat more. The findings reported in the September Cell Metabolism point to the powerful effect that animals' social and physical environments can have on their metabolisms.

"I'm still amazed at the degree of fat loss that occurs," says Matthew During of The Ohio State University. "The amount that comes off is far more than you would get with a treadmill."
"After four weeks in the enriched environment, the animals' abdominal fat decreased by fifty percent," added Lei Cao, also of Ohio State.

The standard laboratory mouse lives what might be considered a "couch potato" existence, Cao says. They are kept comfortable with an endless supply of food and water and a few potential playmates. But they don't have much of anything to do.

In the enriched environment, animals live in larger groups of 15 to 20 animals. They have more space as well as wheels to run on, mazes to navigate and toys to play with.

"We often think of stress as a negative thing, but some kinds of stress can be good for your health," Cao says. In fact, she says, the enriched housing is more taxing for the animals as they have to deal with each other and with a more complex environment.

The new study follows on one reported in Cell last year by the same research team showing that more complex housing also has profound and beneficial effects on cancer. The researchers had also shown that an enriched environment leads to improved cerebral health as defined by increased production of new neurons, enhanced learning and memory, and greater resistance of the brain to insults. The key in all cases seemed to be an increase in the brain's production of a growth factor known as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).

Cao and During had also noted previously that the mice showed changes in their fat tissue and grew leaner than animals living under standard conditions. They now trace that leaner build to an increase in brown fat.

Fat comes in one of two types: white or brown. White fat is the kind we generally try to keep off as it stores all those extra calories. Brown fat burns energy to generate heat. It is perhaps best known for keeping babies warm, but scientists have now realized that adults do retain active brown fat. We can be made to produce more brown fat through exposure to cold or activation of the sympathetic nervous system. The new study suggests a more engaging environment is another, perhaps more effective path to increasing brown fat.

"It's usually hard to induce the switch from white to brown fat," During says. "It takes months of cold -- you really have to push -- and it doesn't induce brown fat to the same degree as what on the surface appears to be a relatively mild change in physical and social environments."

Animals made to produce more BDNF in their brains also show the increase in brown fat and weight loss observed in those living in an enriched environment.

The new result may offer insight into studies showing a link between loneliness and ill health, Cao says. "Loneliness is a profound factor for cancer and death; it's on par with cigarette smoking," she says. "Social engagement is very important."

Although it isn't yet clear why, the new study shows fat to be one of the organs most responsive to changes in the environment. The findings might therefore have important lessons for us about the causes of the obesity epidemic we now face.

"It's not just a sedentary lifestyle and high calorie foods, but an increasing lack of social engagement," During says, as online networking and social media have replaced more dynamic, face-to-face social interactions.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110906121242.htm

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Lifetime 'Dose' of Excess Weight Linked to Risk of Diabetes

Obesity is a known risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes. But it hasn't been clear whether the "dose" of obesity -- how much excess weight a person has, and for how long -- affects the risk of diabetes.

A new University of Michigan Health System study of about 8,000 adolescents and young adults shows the degree and duration of carrying extra pounds are important risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes in adulthood.

"Our study finds that the relationship between weight and type 2 diabetes is similar to the relationship between smoking and the risk of lung cancer," says study lead author Joyce Lee, M.D., M.P.H., a pediatric endocrinologist at U-M's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital. "The amount of excess weight that you carry, and the number of years for which you carry it, dramatically increase your risk of diabetes."
The study appears online ahead of print in the September issue of the Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine.

"We know that, due to the childhood obesity epidemic, younger generations of Americans are becoming heavier much earlier in life, and are carrying the extra weight for longer periods over their lifetimes," says Lee. "When you add the findings from this study, rates of diabetes in the United States may rise even higher than previously predicted."

Researchers found that a measure of degree and duration of excess weight (based on the number of years body mass index, a calculation of weight and height, of 25 or higher) was a better predictor of diabetes risk than a single measurement of excess weight. A BMI over 25 is considered overweight and over 30 is considered obese.

Lee and colleagues also found that black and Hispanic compared with white individuals had a higher risk for diabetes, for a same amount of excess weight over time.

For example, individuals with a BMI of 35 (10 points higher than healthy weight) for 10 years would be considered to have 100 years of excess BMI. Hispanics in this group were twice as likely to develop diabetes compared to whites, while blacks in this group had one-and-a-half-times greater risk than whites.

Based on the latest findings, Lee suggests obesity prevention and treatment efforts should focus on adolescents and young adults, especially racial minorities.

In addition, she believes that measuring and following BMI and the cumulative "dose" of excess BMI may be helpful for clinicians and patients in understanding risk of diabetes in the future.
Evidence from other research indicates that BMI increases with age, and children who are obese are more likely to become obese adults.

Obesity is a well-known contributor to type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, disability and premature death.

Funding: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and the Clinical Sciences Scholars Program at the University of Michigan.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110906102606.htm


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BCAAs and Life Extension If you can preserve mitochondria with age, you will live longer and be healthier.

BCAAs and Life Extension
If you can preserve mitochondria with age, you will live longer and be healthier.
By Jerry Brainum

The branched-chain amino acids consist of three essential amino acids: leucine, isoleucine and valine. BCAAs are often referred to as the “muscle aminos” because unlike other amino acids they undergo extensive metabolism in muscle tissue. Indeed, 14 to 18 percent of the total muscle content of amino acids is BCAAs.

Of all the essential amino acids, the BCAAs are the most linked to muscle protein synthesis—especially leucine. They’re considered “essential” because they must be supplied in the diet, whereas other, “nonessential” aminos can be synthesized in the body from other substances, including other amino acids. Recent work has shown that the essential amino acids play the primary role in boosting muscle protein synthesis. In fact, a mere six grams of essential aminos taken after a workout are sufficient to stimulate muscle protein synthesis.

The BCAAs are also involved in energy production. When the body’s energy needs increase in the absence of other energy-yielding nutrients, such as carbohydrates and fats, mechanisms come into play that lead to a breakdown of BCAAs in muscle. Then off they go to the liver and are converted to glucose. BCAAs support immune function, reduce fatigue, encourage fat burning and help reduce post-training muscle soreness. Intense exercise hastens BCAA breakdown, which has led some scientists to suggest that those who regularly engage in intense exercise may need more BCAAs than others.
BCAAs are anabolic in that they stimulate a substance called mTOR, which plays a pivotal role in muscle protein synthesis. When mTOR is stimulated, other so-called “downstream” proteins—such as p70 S6 kinase, 4E-BP1 and ERK 1—are turned on and collectively help generate muscle growth. Some studies suggest that BCAAs may be involved in the release of growth hormone as well as testosterone, creating more anabolic impact on muscle. When bodybuilders take a dose of five grams of BCAAs before a workout, they show elevated testosterone compared to those who get a placebo and use the same training routine.

No doubt those factors figure into research findings that BCAAs help prevent muscle breakdown following exercise, an effect that can last five days. BCAAs also boost exercise endurance by helping reduce lactate produced during intense exercise.

A very recent study of BCAAs’ health effects has uncovered still another possible benefit.¹ Middle-aged mice were given a BCAA supplement. Researchers wanted to know whether getting BCAAs would affect the rodents’ longevity. Back in 2008 researchers had found that adding a BCAA mixture to yeast significantly extended its longevity. So the newer study was designed to see whether they would do the same for mammals. After three months researchers observed several beneficial changes in the mice consistent with life extension.

To understand how that occurred, you need to know a bit about negative changes that happen in cells with passing years. An emerging theory holds that a major cause of aging is deterioration of mitochondria, cigar-shaped organelles that are the power plants of cells and the site of energy production. Mitochondria are also the site of fat burning, and one effect of exercise, particularly aerobic exercise, is to increase their number in cells. That permits not only more efficient use of oxygen in cells but also a higher degree of fat burning. In short, the more mitochondria you have, the more fat you burn. Obese people who don’t exercise show defects in mitochondrial function, which is one reason exercise is so vital for efficient bodyfat reduction.

Since oxygen is so heavily involved in mitochondrial energy, however, there is a price to pay. The high oxygen use in mitochondria also produces by-products called reactive oxygen species, a.k.a. free radicals, which can damage cell membranes, eventually compromising cellular integrity and leading to cell death. That’s another theory of aging—that free radicals increase with age and result in cell death. The body deals with them by way of a built-in antioxidant defense system consisting of a number of enzymes that is buttressed when you eat foods high in antioxidant nutrients. With age your natural antioxidant network diminishes, resulting in out-of-control free-radical production that damages cells in general and mitochondria in particular. Result: You age.

When mitochondria die, it’s as if the power to the cell has been turned off, and when enough mitochondria disappear, the cell undergoes a process called apoptosis, or cell suicide. The mitochondrial theory of aging states that if you can preserve mitochondria with age, you will live longer and be healthier. One way to do that is to reduce your calories by about 30 percent. That increases the production of PGC-1A, a substance that regulates and increases the number of cellular mitochondria as well as free-radical activity. Calorie restriction boosts another protein called SIRT-1, which is linked to extended longevity through upregulation of certain genes. A lesser-known effect of calorie restriction is that it helps the body maintain production of nitric oxide, which provides a number of benefits, among them controlling blood pressure and hormone release.

While calorie restriction probably does increase longevity, it’s too hard for most people to swallow—literally—for very long. Besides, one by-product of calorie restriction is the significant reduction of all anabolic hormones—not exactly great news if you’re interested in increasing muscle size and strength. So scientists have searched for substances that may mimic the health benefits of calorie restriction. According to the mouse study, BCAAs may be one answer.

The middle-aged mice that got BCAA supplements experienced increased production of mitochondria as well as elevated SIRT-1. The supplement also increased the expression of genes involved in antioxidant defense, which resulted in marked reduction of free radicals in the heart and skeletal muscles of the mice. There was upregulation of nitric oxide production and an increase in PGC-1a, which controls mitochondrial synthesis. Recent studies have suggested that taking antioxidants after exercise prevents some of the benefits of exercise, such as increased insulin sensitivity, from kicking in. That was traced to an antioxidant-induced blunting of the production of PGC-1a and SIRT-1. The mouse study, however, showed that taking BCAAs boosts both substances and thus may be an antidote to the antioxidant conundrum. It also helps explain why bodybuilders, known to get large amounts of BCAAs from both supplements and whey protein, which is 26 percent BCAAs, show no negative effects from taking antioxidants.

The primary way that BCAAs support muscle protein synthesis is by activating mTOR, which is associated with increased cellular oxidative capacity. The authors suggest that the stimulation of mTOR by BCAAs also boosts the nitric oxide system, which plays a role in increasing mitochondria in cells. What’s confusing about that is that other studies suggest that decreased mTOR activity is linked to decreased aging in the body. That’s based on the finding that a drug called rapamycin, which inhibits mTOR (“TOR” stands for “target of rapamycin”) extended the life span of middle-aged mice. Well, so do BCAAs—which support mTOR! Besides, rapamycin is a potent inhibitor of immune response, which opens the door to cancer and other diseases. That would hardly be conducive to human survival.

Since BCAAs also support the activity of SIRT-1, however, it’s a good bet that they’re good for longevity. Other substances known to activate SIRT-1, such as resveratrol, appear to support bodily changes associated with longevity in animal studies, although no human studies have yet shown that effect. Moreover, the resveratrol animal studies show that it helps increase life span in mice that are on a diet containing 60 percent fat. Human studies have found that BCAAs, when combined with weight training, may effectively block sarcopenia, which is the excessive loss of muscle with age that occurs as the body heads for its final decline. BCAAs also reduce inflammatory markers in humans who have heart failure. Increased inflammation is a cornerstone of most degenerative disease linked to aging, including heart failure and Alzheimer’s disease. Meanwhile, the major cause of muscle aging linked to loss of muscle size, endurance and strength with age is the loss of mitochondria in muscle. The implication: that BCAAs, by working with nitric oxide to increase mitochondria in muscle, may help preserve muscle as you age.

—Jerry Brainum

http://www.ironmanmagazine.com/site/bcaas-and-life-extension/

Jerry Brainum's Blog can be found at
http://appliedergogenics.blogspot.com/

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Risky Sleep Habits : Research on sleep habits and cardiovascular outcomes.

Risky Sleep Habits

Research on sleep habits and cardiovascular outcomes.

September 6, 2011 by Robert Goldman MD, PhD in Anti-Aging, Latest, Lifestyle

Research has historically linked prolonged sleep deprivation and disrupted sleep patterns to increased risk for developing or dying from stroke, heart attack and cardiovascular disorders. Completing a large-scale study involving 474,684 subjects from eight countries—including Japan, the United States, Sweden and the U.K.—who were followed for up to 25 years, a team from the University of Warwick in the U.K. found that sleeping fewer than six hours per night and having disturbed sleep puts a person at a 48 percent greater chance of developing or dying from heart disease and a 15 percent greater chance of developing or dying of a stroke. The team warns that both short and long durations of sleep “are predictors, or markers, of cardiovascular outcomes.”

Cappuccio, F.P., et al. (2011). Sleep duration predicts cardiovascular outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies. Eur Heart J. In press.
—Dr. Bob Goldman

http://www.ironmanmagazine.com/site/risky-sleep-habits/

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Exercise Boosts Health By Influencing Stem Cells To Become Bone, Not Fat, McMaster Researchers Find

McMaster researchers have found one more reason to exercise: working out triggers influential stem cells to become bone instead of fat, improving overall health by boosting the body's capacity to make blood.

The body's mesenchymal stem cells are most likely to become fat or bone, depending on which path they follow.

Using treadmill-conditioned mice, a team led by the Department of Kinesiology's Gianni Parise has shown that aerobic exercise triggers those cells to become bone more often than fat.

The exercising mice ran less than an hour, three times a week, enough time to have a significant impact on their blood production, says Parise, an associate professor.

In sedentary mice, the same stem cells were more likely to become fat, impairing blood production in the marrow cavities of bones.

The research appears in a new paper published by the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.

"The interesting thing was that a modest exercise program was able to significantly increase blood cells in the marrow and in circulation," says Parise. "What we're suggesting is that exercise is a potent stimulus -- enough of a stimulus to actually trigger a switch in these mesenchymal stem cells."

The composition of cells in the bone marrow cavity has an important influence on the productivity of blood stem cells.

In ideal conditions, blood stem cells create healthy blood that boosts the immune system, permits the efficient uptake of oxygen, and improves the ability to clot wounds.

Bone cells improve the climate for blood stem cells to make blood.

But when fat cells start to fill the bone marrow cavity -- a common symptom of sedentary behavior -- blood stem cells become less productive, and conditions such as anemia can result.

The findings add to the growing list of established benefits of exercise, Parise says, and suggest that novel non-medicinal treatments for blood-related disorders may be in the future.

"Some of the impact of exercise is comparable to what we see with pharmaceutical intervention," he says. "Exercise has the ability to impact stem cell biology. It has the ability to influence how they differentiate."
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/233771.php

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Diabetes Risk 80% Lower For Those With Multiple Good Lifestyle Factors, Compared To Those With Worst

Individuals with good lifestyle factors, such as not over-consuming alcohol, eating a healthy diet, doing exercise, not smoking and being of normal weight, are 80% less likely to develop Diabetes Type 2 over an 11-year period, compared to those with bad lifestyle factors, researchers from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, and National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland, and AARP, Washington, DC. Reported in Annals of Internal Medicine.

The authors explained that several studies have demonstrated a link between diet, smoking status, alcohol consumption, physical activity, bodyweight, and diet, and Diabetes Type 2 risk. They have shown that improvements in lifestyle, such as doing more exercise, can postpone or prevent diabetes onset.

However, how much multiple changes impact on diabetes risk is less clear, they added.

The investigators gathered data on 114,996 adult males and 92,483 females to find out how combinations of risk factors impact on diabetes risk over an 11-year period. They were aged from 50 to 71 years and none of them had evidence of diabetes, cancer or heart disease at the beginning of the study.

Between 1995 and 1996 they monitored the individuals and gathered data on where they lived, their dietary habits, how much they weighted, as well as their smoking status, alcohol consumption, and how much physical activity they did.

Eleven years later the participants were surveyed again. The researchers wanted to know how many of them had developed Diabetes Type 2 (diagnosed by a doctor).

9.6% (11,031) of the men and 7.5% (6,969) of the women had developed new-onset diabetes during that period.

With original survey data, the researchers measured the association between lifestyle factors and the risk of developing diabetes.

They found that the participants with the best multiple lifestyle factors had an 80% lower chance of developing diabetes compared to those with the worst.

In an abstract in the journal, the researchers concluded:

"Lifestyle factors, when considered in combination, are associated with a substantial reduction in risk for diabetes."

Diabetes Type 2

Most of the food we eat is broken down into glucose, a form of sugar in the blood. Glucose is the main fuel for our bodies. After digesting food, the glucose gets into the bloodstream. The cells in our body need glucose for growth and energy. The glucose cannot enter the cells without insulin - insulin makes it possible for the glucose to enter cells.

After a meal there is an increase of glucose in the bloodstream. The pancreas responds by releasing insulin.

Patients with Diabetes Type 2 either do not produce enough insulin, or their insulin does not work properly (insulin resistance).

In the majority of cases, Diabetes Type 2 develops because the individual has been overweight/obese for a long time. Diabetes type 2, if it does occur, will nearly always do so later on in life, unlike Diabetes Type 1 which usually develops by the time the patient is about 20 years old. Diabetes Type 1 is thought to be the result of an autoimmune disorder.

Diabetes Type 2 is by far the most common type of diabetes.

There is an accumulation of glucose in the blood

The cells do not get the glucose they require for growth and energy

Initially, the main problem for Diabetes Type 2 patients is insulin sensitivity; also blood insulin levels are too high. Drugs are available to improve insulin sensitivity and bring down glucose production by the liver.

As the diabetes advances, the patient's insulin production becomes poorer, and he/she will often require replacement insulin.

Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News Today
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/233899.php

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New Tactic for Controlling Blood Sugar in Diabetes Contradicts Current View of the Disease: Inflammation May Be Part of the Solution, Not the Problem

Increased low-grade inflammation in the body resulting from obesity is widely viewed as contributing to type 2 diabetes. Going against this long-held belief, researchers from Children's Hospital Boston report that two proteins activated by inflammation are actually crucial for maintaining good blood sugar levels -- and that boosting the activity of these proteins can normalize blood sugar in severely obese and diabetic mice.

The research, led by Umut Ozcan, MD, in the Division of Endocrinology at Children's, is reported in the October issue of Nature Medicine, published online September 4.

"This finding is completely contrary to the general dogma in the diabetes field that low-grade inflammation in obesity causes insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes," says Ozcan. "For 20 years, this inflammation has been seen as detrimental, whereas it is actually beneficial."

Ozcan's team previously showed that obesity places stress on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), a structure in the cell where proteins are assembled, folded and dispatched to do jobs for the cell. This so-called "ER stress" impairs the body's response to insulin in maintaining appropriate blood glucose levels, and is a key link between obesity and type 2 diabetes. Last year, Ozcan and colleagues showed that a protein that relieves ER stress, called XBP1s, cannot function in obese mice. Earlier this year, they showed that activating XBP1s artificially in the liver normalized high blood sugar in obese, insulin-resistant type 2 diabetic mice (as well as lean, insulin-deficient type 1 diabetic mice).

The new study shows that a second protein triggered by inflammatory signals, p38 MAPK, chemically alters XBP1s, enhancing its activity -- and that without these alterations, XBP1s cannot function to maintain normal glucose levels. The study further showed that obese mice have reduced p38 MAPK activity, and that re-activating p38 MAPK in the liver reduced their ER stress, increased insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance, and significantly reduced blood glucose levels.

Together, the findings suggest that either increasing p38 MAPK activity -- despite its being an inflammatory signal -- or increasing XBP-1 activity by other means could represent new therapeutic options for diabetes.

The study also suggests a new model for understanding type 2 diabetes, in which obesity may interfere with the ability of people's cells to respond to inflammatory signals. "It may be that inflammatory pathways are not working optimally and there could be a resistance to cytokines which mediates the inflammation," Ozcan says. "This could be a paradigm shift for the field."

The researchers also raise a possible down side in using p38 MAPK inhibitors to treat inflammatory diseases such as Crohn's disease, psoriasis and asthma. "These therapeutic approaches should … be evaluated within the context of our results, and in light of the possibility that inhibition of XBP1s activity also decreases the ability of the cell to cope with the inflammatory conditions," they write.
The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health and the Timothy Murphy funds provided to the Division of Endocrinology, Children's Hospital Boston. Jaemin Lee, PhD, and Cheng Sun, PhD, were co-first authors on the paper.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110904140420.htm

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Powerful Antioxidant Resveratrol Prevents Metabolic Syndrome in Lab Tests, Study Finds

Researchers in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta have discovered that resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant found in common foods, prevents a syndrome in some offspring that could lead to later health issues such as diabetes.

Resveratrol is found in fruits, nuts and red wine, and has been shown to extend the lifespan of many species.

Human offspring that have trouble growing in the womb have an increased risk of developing metabolic problems later in life. But U of A medical researchers Jason Dyck and Sandra Davidge and their teams found that administering resveratrol to the young offspring of lab rats after weaning actually prevented the development of a metabolic syndrome, which is characterized by glucose intolerance, insulin resistance and higher deposits of abdominal fat.

Dyck and Davidge published their findings in a recent edition of the peer-reviewed journal Diabetes. Dyck is a researcher in the departments of Pediatrics and Pharmacology, while Davidge is a researcher in the departments of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Physiology. Both are also members of the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute, as well as the Women and Children's Health Research Institute. Dyck and Davidge were co-senior authors of the study.

The study took advantage of the fact that "infancy is a potential window of opportunity to intervene and prevent the future development of metabolic diseases." The researchers noted this is the first potential pharmacological treatment that may help babies that developed in a growth-restricted environment in the womb.

"There is a concept that in utero, there are genetic shifts that are occurring -- reprogramming is occurring because of this strenuous environment babies are in, that allows them to recover very quickly after birth," says Dyck.

"When babies are growth-restricted, they usually have a catch-up period after they are born where they catch up to non-growth-restricted groups. It might be that reprogramming that creates this kind of 'thrifty' phenotype, where they want to consume and store and get caught up.

"That reprogramming appears to make them more vulnerable to developing a host of metabolic problems."

Earlier this year, Dyck and Davidge published another paper in Diabetes demonstrating that rat offspring not growing well in the womb had noticeable side effects from high-fat diets after birth -- the rats deposited more fat in the abdominal area, developed glucose intolerance, more dramatic cases of insulin resistance and insulin resistance at earlier stages of life.

Dyck and Davidge are continuing their research in this area, examining whether treating the mother during pregnancy can prevent metabolic problems in rat offspring affected by intrauterine growth restriction.

Davidge is an Alberta Innovates-Health Solutions (AIHS) Scientist and a Canada Research Chair in Women's Cardiovascular Health. Dyck is an AIHS Senior Scholar and the Director of the Cardiovascular Research Centre at the U of A.

Their research was funded by: the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada, and the Women and Children's Health Research Institute.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110902133036.htm

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In-Your-Face-Fitness: High-intensity training burns more calories

Intense effort yields more impressive results than moderate exercise, despite what doctors say.

By James Fell, Special to the Los Angeles Times

September 5, 2011

http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-fitness-exercise-intensity-20110905,0,644006.story

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Is your weight affecting your relationship?

Is your weight affecting your relationship?

Many women gain a bit of weight after they get married, but could it harm your relationship? Find out why loving yourself as you are is healthy for your marriage

http://www.chatelaine.com/en/article/30915--is-your-weight-affecting-your-relationship#.Tl48WIIYcms.twitter

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Link Between Elite Cross-Country Skiing And Increased Risk Of Subsequent Arrhythmias

A Swedish study presented at the ESC Congress 2011, found a higher incidence of arrhythmias in cross-country skiers with a long history of endurance training. Compared to those who had completed one single race, those who had completed 7 or more races had 29% higher risk of a subsequent arrhythmia. Further, elite athletes finishing at 100-160% of the winning time had 37% higher risk of arrhythmias than recreational athletes finishing at more than 241% of the winning time.

Although it is well established that physical training significantly reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, earlier reports have indicated a higher incidence of arrhythmias (heart rhythm disorders) among elite athletes committed to endurance sports. Different types of arrhythmias have different severity, but the most feared situation is when a young athlete suffers a sudden death caused by a ventricular tachycardia (fast heart rhythm originating from the large chambers). This tragic event is most often seen in athletes with an unknown pre-existing heart disease. Other types of arrhythmias are less serious but most uncomfortable for the athlete. Atrial fibrillation (fast irregular heart rhythm) is the most frequent, and athletes suffering from atrial fibrillation have an unpleasant feeling in the chest, decreased performance and higher risk of suffering from stroke. Earlier small studies have reported a higher incidence of atrial fibrillation and bradyarrhythmias (slow heart rhythm) among endurance sport athletes but no large scale studies have been presented. This study's aim is to investigate the risk of arrhythmias in a large group of endurance-trained athletes.

Every year the first Sunday of March, around 15,000 participants in the Swedish skiing event "Vasaloppet" endure 90 strenuous kilometres of cross-country skiing. The participants are ranging from elite to recreational athletes, and their training status (measured as maximal oxygen consumption) is closely correlated to their finishing time. It is important to stress that participants in the "Vasaloppet" are generally healthy, have higher than average socioeconomic status and lower mortality compared to the general population.

This study includes all Swedish citizens completing the race during the period 1989-98 (47,477 persons) and investigates two cross-country skiing-related exposures; 1) the participants finishing time, as a proportion of the winning time that year (a measure of whether the athlete is trained at an elite or recreational level); and 2) number of races completed by the participant (a measure of the duration of the training).

Accounting for age, socioeconomic status and education, we observed a higher incidence of arrhythmias in cross-country skiers with a long history of endurance training. Compared to those who had completed one single race, those who had completed 7 or more races had 29% higher risk of a subsequent arrhythmia. Further, elite athletes finishing at 100-160% of the winning time had 37% higher risk of arrhythmias than recreational athletes finishing at more than 241% of the winning time. This association was more prominent among younger (less than 45 years) than older athletes. The associations were mainly driven by the most common type of arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation, and bradyarrhythmias. We did not find any significantly increased incidence of the potential lethal ventricular arrhythmias with any of the exposures.

Dr. Andersen summarizes: "Basically, this study shows, that even though physical activity is generally healthy, athletes committed to endurance sports at elite level have higher risk of suffering from a heart rhythm disorder. There seems to be a relation with the duration of the sport commitment and at which level the athletes competed. We emphasize that we do not find any increased incidence of potential lethal heart rhythm disorders. However, this study only compares athletes at different levels and a future large scale study comparing athletes against the normal population would be very interesting."

Article References:
Contributors:
Kasper Andersen, MD, Department of Medical Sciences, Cardiology, Uppsala University and Department of Cardiology,
Akademiska Sjukhuset, Uppsala Sweden.
Bahman Farahmand, PhD, Department of Epidemiology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutete, Stockholm, Sweden
Karl Michaelsson PhD Uppsala Clinical Research Center (UCR), Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
Claes Held, PhD, Uppsala Clinical Research Center (UCR), Uppsala University, and Department of Cardiology, Akademiska Sjukhuset, Uppsala Sweden.
Sverker Ljunghall, PhD, Professor Emeritus, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
Johan Sundström, Uppsala University, Department of Medical Sciences, Cardiology, Uppsala, Sweden
About ESC Congress 2011: ESC Congress 2011 will take place from 27 August to 31 August at Paris Nord Villepinte, Paris. Information on the scientific programme is available at http://spo.escardio.org/Welcome.aspx?eevtid=48
European Society of Cardiology

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