RESEARCHERS PINPOINT HOW A LACK OF VITAMIN D MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF ALZHEIMER'S AND VASCULAR DEMENTIA

Researchers have found that low blood levels of vitamin D are associated with an increased risk for a host of health problems ranging from cardiovascular disease, susceptibility to infections, and diabetes, to osteoporosis, dental cavities and periodontal disease.  Vitamin D deficiency is also known to be linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia.   For example, recently, a study from the large Third National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES III) in the U.S. showed a marked association between vitamin D deficiency and risk of dementia.   According to the latest estimates, 5.3 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease and it is the seventh-leading cause of death in the U.S

In 2009 it was reported that vitamin D3 appears to stimulate the immune system to clear harmful amyloid beta proteins, the main component of plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease.  But, the researchers didn't know how it worked.  Now researchers have identified the cellular mechanisms regulated by vitamin D3 that help the body clear the brain of amyloid proteins.

For the study, scientists drew blood samples from Alzheimer's patients and healthy controls and then isolated critical immune cells from the blood called macrophages, which are responsible for gobbling up amyloid beta and other waste products in the brain and body.  The team incubated the immune cells overnight with amyloid beta. An active form of vitamin D3 which is made in the body was added to some of the cells to gauge the effect it had on amyloid beta absorption.  They found that vitamin D3 activates key genes and cellular signaling networks to help stimulate the immune system to clear the amyloid protein. 

To determine whether vitamin D supplementation may help to treat dementia, clinical trials are still needed.  It is too early to know whether supplementation with vitamin D can reverse or slow the course of dementia.

What to do:  To reduce your risk of inflammatory diseases such as Alzheimer’s and heart disease, aim to maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle as well as adequate vitamin D.  For vitamin D, consume food sources rich in vitamin D such as lowfat/nonfat milk and oily fish such as salmon.  Also, next time you get blood work with your regular doctor, you can request your vitamin D level be checked.   This way you can know if you are deficient or not and how much to supplement with.  Vitamin D3 is widely available in supplements.  To maximize uptake of vitamin D, it is best to take it along with calcium.  Persons with some conditions should not supplement with vitamin D so check with your doctor before starting supplementation.  

Adapted from content in:   Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 2009 17:1 & 2012;29:51-62, Science Daily at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090526140747.htm and Medscape at  http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/760305.

EVEN IN THE ABSENCE OF WEIGHT GAIN, SUGAR-SWEETENED DRINKS INCREASE HEART HEALTH & DIABETES RISK FACTORS

Drinking two or more sugar-sweetened beverages a day boosts a woman's risk for developing heart disease and diabetes -- even if this habit isn't causing her to pack on extra pounds, a new study says.

Sugary sodas and other sweetened beverages are frequent targets in the war on obesity as their consumption often leads to increases in caloric intake and weight gain. Now it appears that even when the consumption of sweetened drinks does not result in weight gain, they may still be detrimental to heart health. 

For the study, researchers at the University of Oklahoma assessed the drinking habits of nearly 4,200 women aged 45 to 84 from various ethnic groups via questionnaires. The researchers measured weight gain, waist circumference, cholesterol levels, triglycerides and glucose (blood sugar) during three follow-up exams conducted over a five-year span.

Researchers found that compared to women who drank one or less sugar-sweetened beverage, those who drank two or more sugary beverages a day were four times as likely to have high levels of unhealthy blood fats called triglycerides and elevated fasting blood sugar levels (known as "prediabetes').  What's more, among women of similar weight, those who drank two or more sweetened drinks had more belly fat than those who drank one or less each day.  Unfortunately, belly fat has been found to be the fat that is most detrimental to health. 

What to do:  Aim to avoid consumption of sweetened drinks including soda, sweet ice tea, and juice.  These are high in calories and tend not to be filling.  Opt for water, seltzer, and tea instead. 

 

Adapted from articles available at: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_118658.html and http://newsroom.heart.org/pr/aha/sugar-sweetened-beverages-may-217750.aspx

TIPS TO CUT BACK ON SODIUM

It’s clear that Americans have a taste for salt, but a diet high in salt (sodium chloride) contributes to water retention, high blood pressure, stroke, and kidney disease. The average American consumes about three to four times the recommended amount of sodium. For health, everyone, including kids, should reduce their sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg of sodium a day (about 1 teaspoon of salt). If you have heart health risk factors, aim to consume less than 1500 mg of sodium each day.  This means getting less than 2/3 of a teaspoon of salt from all dietary sources. 

Even if you do not add salt while cooking or do not use the salt shaker at the table, you are probably eating too much sodium. That is because we eat packaged foods, like deli meats, frozen dinners, boxed noodle and rice dishes, canned soups, canned vegetables, bottled dressings & sauces, breakfast cereals, bread, and snack foods. Approximately 75% of our intake of sodium is derived from salt added by manufacturers to food products long before they appear on our tables. Even some foods that do not taste salty are high in sodium.  For example, bread is the leading source of salt in most American’s diets but you don’t necessarily taste all that sodium because it’s “baked in” rather than on the surface of the food like with chips where the salty taste is more distinct. 

10 Tips to Cut Back on Sodium in Your Diet:

·         Think fresh - Most of the sodium Americans eat is found in processed foods. Choose highly processed foods less often and in smaller portions—especially cheesy foods, such as pizza; cured meats, such as bacon, sausage, hot dogs, and deli/luncheon meats; and ready-to-eat foods, like canned chili, ravioli, and soups. Fresh foods usually have little or no added sodium, allowing you to better regulate sodium intake.

·         Enjoy home-prepared foods - Cook more often at home—where you are in control of what’s in your food. Foods prepared in restaurants and fast food locations are often very high in sodium with many dishes having more than a day’s worth of sodium!

·         Fill up on veggies and fruits—they are naturally low in sodium - Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits—fresh or frozen or canned with no sodium added.  Aim to eat a vegetable or fruit at every meal.  Fresh fruits and vegetables are high in potassium which helps to somewhat counteract the increases in blood pressure caused by sodium.

·         Choose dairy and protein foods that are lower in sodium - Choose more fat-free or low-fat milk and yogurt in place of cheese, which is higher in sodium. Choose fresh beef, pork, poultry, and seafood, rather than those with salt added. Deli or luncheon meats, sausages, and canned products like corned beef and fish like sardines are high in sodium.  Look for canned tuna without added sodium. Choose unsalted nuts, seeds, and nut butters like peanut butter.

·         Adjust your taste buds - Cut back on salt little by little—and pay attention to the natural tastes of various foods. Your taste for salt will lessen over time.

·         Skip the salt shaker - Skip adding salt when cooking. Keep salt off the kitchen counter and the dinner table. Use spices, herbs, garlic, vinegar, and lemon juice to season foods or use no-salt seasoning mixes. Try black or red pepper, basil, curry, ginger, rosemary, dill, and many others to add flavor to dishes.

·         Read the label - Read the Nutrition Facts label to find packaged and canned foods lower in sodium. These list the amount of sodium in one serving of the food.  The % Daily Value (%DV) is the percentage of the daily sodium limit in one serving of the food.  If the %DV is less than 10% than the food is not so high in sodium but if it is 25% or more, try to choose a lower sodium option.

·         Ask for low-sodium foods when you eat out – Restaurants’ foods are usually loaded with sodium but often they can prepare dishes with less added sodium at your request and will serve sauces and salad dressings on the side so you can use less.

·         Pay attention to condiments - Foods like soy sauce, ketchup, pickles, olives, salad dressings, and seasoning packets are high in sodium. Choose low-sodium soy sauce and ketchup. Have carrot or celery sticks instead of olives or pickles, or if you are using these for salads replace them with low-sodium options such as unsalted roasted red peppers, unsalted sun-dried tomatoes, horseradish, and more lemon/vinegar.  Mix up dressings at home or dilute store bought ones with added lemon/vinegar to control the sodium.  Use only a sprinkling of flavoring packets instead of the entire packet.

·         Boost your potassium intake - Choose foods rich potassium, by emphasizing fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, whole grains, and low-fat/non-fat dairy in your diet.  Intake of foods rich in potassium can help to counteract the effect that sodium has on blood pressure. Some of the fruits and vegetables highest in potassium include oranges, melons, bananas, kiwis, potatoes, yams, tomatoes, spinach, beans, and artichokes.