INTAKE OF OMEGA-3 FATS FOUND IN FISH MAY HELP PRESERVE BRAIN HEALTH

A recent study found older women with higher blood levels of the fats found in oily fish (such as salmon and tuna) experienced less age-related brain shrinkage than women with lower levels of fish oil fats. Normally, with age, the brain shrinks about half a percentage point every year after age 70 and those with dementia experience much greater brain shrinkage. 

For the study, Dr. James Pottala and colleagues analyzed data from the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study that included 1,111 senior women who had no signs of dementia at the beginning of the study. Their blood levels of the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were measured at the start of the study.  Eight years later, the women had MRI scans that measured their brain volumes. The researchers found women with the highest EPA and DHA blood levels at the study's outset had brains that were about two cubic centimeters larger overall than women with the lowest levels.  In addition, the hippocampus, a brain region critical in forming and storing memories and one of the first areas of the brain that shrinks with Alzheimer’s, was 2.7 % larger in women who had fatty acid levels twice as high as the average.  The analysis controlled for other factors that can influence women's brain size, including education, age, other health conditions, smoking and exercise.

While this study did not prove a causal relationship between omega-3 intake and brain preservation, it is plausible intake of these fats, which our bodies cannot synthesize but have to get from oily fish, could affect brain volume.  DHA accounts for 30%-40% of the fatty acids in brain cell membranes, and it is especially concentrated near the synapses where nerve cells communicate with one another. 

What to do:  Fish high in omega-3 fatty acids include salmon, herring, mackerel, tuna, and sardines. To maintain blood levels comparable to the study’s participants with high blood levels, one would need to eat fatty fish or take a fish oil supplement most days of the week.    

Source: 

Pottala JV, Yaffe K, J. G. Robinson JG, Espeland MA, Wallace R, & Harris WS.  Higher RBC EPA DHA corresponds with larger total brain and hippocampal volumes: WHIMS-MRI Study. Neurology, online January 22, 2014. Available at DOI:10.1212/WNL.0000000000000080 

Adapted from articles available at:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140122170541.htm

http://www.sciencenewsline.com/articles/2014012312480001.html

EVEN WITHOUT WEIGHT GAIN, CONSUMPTION OF ADDED SWEETENERS INCREASES RISK OF DYING FROM HEART DISE

A recent analysis from the Center for Disease Control indicates regular consumption of too much sugar and other added sweeteners increases the risk of dying from heart disease, even when one maintains a healthy weight. The study also concluded that most Americans are consuming far more sugar than is recommended.

The results are based on data collected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey which has tracked the eating patterns of over 31,000 U.S. residents from 1988 through 2010.  The study found that over the period of the survey, the average adult took in about 16% of their calories from added sweeteners, and 10% of adults got more than 25% of their calories from added sweeteners.  The natural sugars in juice were not included in the study although it is likely these impact the body similarly to added sugars.

The study found that compared to people who got less than 10% of their daily calories from added sugars, those taking in 10-25% of their calories from added sugar were 30% more likely to die of cardiovascular disease during the study period. And, those who got 25% or more of their calories from added sugar were more than twice as likely to die of cardiovascular disease.  The relationship between sweetener consumption and cardiovascular related death rates was independent of other factors known to impact heart health including weight, smoking, age, gender, physical activity, socioeconomic status, and other aspects of an unhealthy diet.

Added sugars include all caloric sweeteners that are incorporated into foods including brown sugar, syrup, and honey.  Sugar-sweetened beverages are by far the single largest source of added sugar in the American diet, accounting for 37.1% of all that is consumed nationally.  A typical can of regular soda contains 35-40 grams of sugar (7-8% of a 2,000 calorie diet) while a 20-oz bottle has 65-75g of sugar (13-15% of a 2000 calorie diet).  How much sugar intake is too much?  This is still a matter of debate.  The Institute of Medicine recommends added sugars make up less than 25% of a person's daily calories, while the World Health Organization suggests the limit should be much lower, no more than 10% of caloric intake.  And, the American Heart Association sets the limit for added sugars at 100 calories per day for women (about 6 teaspoons) and 150 calories (about 9 teaspoons) per day for men.  This study's results corroborate the recommendations from the American Heart Association, limiting sugar to no more than 15% of caloric intake. 

Aside from leading to weight gain, excessive intake of added sugar appears to negatively affect health in several ways. It has been linked to the development of high blood pressure, increased triglycerides (blood fats), low HDL (good) cholesterol, fatty liver problems, as well as making insulin less effective in lowering blood sugar. 

What to do:  Avoid added sugar as much as possible.  Even at a healthy weight, a daily 20-oz serving of soda alone puts you over the limit of sugar intake.  Beware not only of foods we typically think of as sweets.  "Healthy foods" such as granola bars, cereal, sauces, canned & dried fruit, and yogurt contain substantial amounts of added sweeteners.   

Article adapted from:

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Cardiology/Prevention/44114

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/03/us-sugar-diet-idUSBREA121IK20140203

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/02/03/added-sugars-heart-disease-death/5183799/

Source:

Yang Q, Zhang Z, Gregg EW, Flanders W, Merritt R, Hu FB. Added Sugar Intake and Cardiovascular Diseases Mortality Among US Adults. JAMA Intern Med. 2014;():. bit.ly/1bW7SpA

THE TRUTH ABOUT CHOCOLATE & HEART HEALTH

Valentine’s Day is a big chocolate holiday.  With the frequent chocolate-is-good-for-you stories in the media we might think we are doing our health a favor by digging into a box of chocolates.  But, is chocolate really good for us?  Pure cocoa bean powder, the nonfat portion of the bean is rich in healthy antioxidant flavanols.  However, the amount of pure cocoa in your favorite chocolaty treats is likely not enough to help your health while the amount of cocoa butter (the fat component of the cocao bean), fats and sugar does add up to a serious serving of calories and cholesterol raising saturated fats.

The cocao bean is one of the richest food sources of a group of plant substances called flavanols.  Other foods, such as tea, red wine, berries, and some fruits, especially the skins of apples, contain flavanols but none is as high concentrations as the cocoa bean.   Chocolate, as we know it, is a combination of cocoa bean powder, cocoa butter and other fats, and sugar.  In the finished product, there is actually not that much cocoa bean powder.  And, unfortunately, the flavanol content takes a hit when raw cocoa beans are converted into chocolate. How big a hit depends on how the cocoa is processed. 

A closer look at the research on chocolate & health…

© Blood Flow:  There is good evidence that consumption of large amounts of flavanols consistently improves blood vessel wall function in individuals regardless of whether they are young and healthy or have coronary artery disease, diabetes or high blood pressure.  It appears that flavanols increase the body's ability to synthesize nitric oxide, which triggers the dilation (relaxing) of arteries and allows for increased blood flow.  When arteries do not dilate but are stiff the heart has to work harder. In a study funded by chocolate maker Hershey, researchers found that blood flow in the arteries increased within two hours after older people consumed high doses of flavanols (180, 465, or 1,095 mg), but not in those who got 70 mg.

© Blood pressure.  A 2012 review of 15 randomized controlled trials that lasted from 2 to 18 weeks concluded that a high consumption of flavanols (an average of 560mg per day which is equivalent to the amount in almost 3 Hershey's Dark Chocolate bars) can lower blood pressure by 2-3 mm Hg in the short term.

© Weight Loss: There have been some observational surveys that have sampled individuals and found that those who weigh less also report consuming more chocolate.  This has led some to conclude that chocolate helps with weight loss.  However when the persons in the studies who have a weight-associated illness such as diabetes or heart disease are excluded from the analysis, the association of chocolate eating with less weight disappears.  Researchers hypothesize heavier participants are eating less chocolate because they're trying to eat healthier given their health problems.   

And, in studies that happen over a period of time, the opposite trend emerges – with higher chocolate consumption comes more weight gain.  For example, more than 12,000 U.S. residents aged 45-64 were weighed in the late 1980s and were asked, among other things, how often they ate a serving of chocolate. Six years later, they were weighed and asked about chocolate again. In this study over time, greater chocolate consumption was linked to greater weight gain and those eating the most chocolate gained the most weight.  People who consumed just an ounce of chocolate at least once a week gained an average of 2.4 pounds over the six years. 

Getting your flavanols fix...

So, while getting at least 200mg of flavanols per day can improve blood flow and blood pressure, eating chocolate will not necessarily add that many flavanols to your diet because processing cocoa beans destroys flavanols. How much is lost depends on the beans and the processing.  Labeling a chocolate bar as having, say, “70% cacao” is not a reliable guide to the amount of flavanols because one cannot tell how heavily that cocoa was fermented or processed, both of which destroy flavanols.

How to get 200 mg? Two ounces of dark chocolate would probably do but keep in mind it comes with an average of more than 300 calories.  Many cocoa mixes contain cocoa that has been "processed with alkali" (also called "Dutch-process") and this process effectively destroys the all flavanol content.  Milk chocolate has less cocoa and more sugar than dark chocolate, so it would take 10 ½ oz. (almost 1,600 calories' worth) to give you 200 mg of flavanols! 

A better calorie option is half an ounce of baking chocolate for 70 calories or two tablespoons of an unsweetened pure cocoa powder (like Hershey's or Nestle Toll House, which have around 20 calories). Try mixing these into your coffee, warm milk, oatmeal, or yogurt. Also, Mexican mole sauces are a flavorful way to incorporate unsweetened cocoa into your diet.

Article adapted from: Nutrition Action Healthletter, December 2013, pg.8-11.