3 Weeks of Sugary Beverages Can Increase Cardiovascular Risk

Read about how even short-term consumption of sugary beverages cause well-known heart risk factors to head in the wrong direction.
(link below)

And the answer isn’t to drink artificially sweetened beverages because they too have recently been shown to result in larger waistline increases in people who consume them.

The answer is to drink water and get used to drinking healthy unsweetened teas or beverages naturally sweetened with either stevia extract or erythritol.
Nutritionists estimate that 40% of the extra 570 calories a day that we consume vs. people in the 1950’s, come from these sugary beverages.

Do yourself a huge favor, switch over to these healthier drinks and protect yourself from heart disease, diabetes, obesity and possible cancer as well.

(Read article below)

Curt Hendrix, M.S., C.C.N., C.N.S

SUGARY DRINKS INCREASE CARDIOVASCULAR RISK

June 30, 2011 — A small study of men younger than 50 years found that even moderate consumption of soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) produces an increase in markers of cardiovascular risk.

After just 3 weeks of sugary drinks, healthy, normal weight (body mass index range, 19 – 25 kg/m) men between the ages of 20 and 50 years saw harmful effects to low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles, fasting glucose, and C-reactive protein, according to the study published online June 15 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The researchers, led by Isabelle Aeberli, PhD, from the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Clinical Nutrition, University Hospital Zurich, and the Human Nutrition Laboratory, Institute of Food, Nutrition, and Health, ETH Zurich, Switzerland, launched the study because it is known that sugary drinks interfere with glucose and lipid metabolism in obese people. However, the effect of lower doses of SSBs in people of normal weight “is less clear.”

One of the goals of the study was to measure the effect of sugar dosages similar to the amount found in commercially available sodas and sweetened drinks, “thereby allowing us to draw clinically relevant conclusions.”

The prospective, randomized controlled trial looked at risk markers in 29 men who consumed drinks with varying amounts of fructose and glucose (which are derived from fruit) and sucrose (which makes up common table sugar). The researchers measured LDL, fasting glucose, and C-reactive protein at baseline and after 3 week-long interventions.

The study involved 6 interventions that ranged from drinks with 40 g of the sweeteners fructose or glucose to beverages with 80 g of fructose, glucose, or sucrose. One group was advised to consume low amounts of fructose.

At all of the levels, fasting glucose and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein increased significantly (by 4% – 9% and 60% – 109%, respectively; P < .05). LDL particle size was reduced in the higher-fructose group by .51 nm (95% confidence interval, −.19 to −.82 nm), and in the higher-sucrose group by .43 nm (95% confidence interval, −.12 to −.74; P < .05 for both). “Similarly, a more atherogenic LDL subclass distribution was seen when fructose-containing SSBs were consumed,” the authors write.

The researchers concluded that even with lower doses (40 g sugar/day), which provided just 6.5% of daily energy in the form of SSBs, adverse effects could be observed with regard to LDL particle size and distribution, waist-to-hip ratio, fasting glucose, and inflammatory markers.

Although the study showed the short-term effect of SSB consumption, it was limited, in that 3 weeks “may not have been long enough to observe significant effects in parameters such as lipoprotein concentrations, insulin resistance, adipokines, body weight, and blood pressure.”

The research will not solve the debate over the health effects of high-fructose corn syrup, which is used in everything from soft drinks to cereals in the United States. Despite the name, high-fructose corn syrup is chemically similar to other sweeteners: All contain glucose and fructose in roughly equal amounts.

Am J Clin Nutr. Published online June 15, 2011. Abstract

Diet Sodas Make You Fatter and Kill Cells in Your Brain!

THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON TO CONSUME ANOTHER DIET SODA AGAIN.

If You Must Have a Soda Once In A While, Make it One Sweetened With Regular Sugar (Sucrose not high fructose corn syrup). Even Better Yet, Choose Beverages Sweetened with Stevia Extract and/or Erythritol.

Two very recent studies about consuming diet sodas revealed some very alarming results. One studied that followed people who “did” and “didn’t” drink diet sodas, found that the people who drank diet sodas has much bigger waistlines than the group that didn’t.

The second study found that mice that were given drinks with aspartame (the ingredient in Equal and several other differently name artificial sweeteners) had much higher levels of blood glucose which of course could lead to diabetes.

Add this new information to the existing information showing that artificial sweeteners like Equal contain chemicals that are “excito-toxic” to brain cells and actually cause them to die, and you shouldn’t need any more motivation to completely eliminate these beverages from your and your family’s diet. For Heaven Sakes, diet sodas don’t even help you to diet………..THEY MAKE YOU FATTER!

Curt Hendrix, M.S., C.C.N., C.N.S

An Aspirin a Day to Prevent Heart Attacks?

Is a Baby Aspirin a Day Good For Preventing Heart Attacks? Not If You Have Hypertension And Heart Disease!

A study just recently published in the Journal of Medicine found that people who chronically take aspirin and have hypertension with coronary artery disease, have a greater risk of dying from a coronary event than people who occasionally use aspirin.

The problem is that it’s easy to know if you have hypertension but much more difficult to know, without extensive testing, if you have coronary artery disease.

So, if you know you have hypertension and have been taking a baby aspirin a day (or more), you need to speak to your physician about these new findings, to determine if you should continue to take aspirin on a daily basis.

How to Avoid Obesity & Increase Muscle

We could learn from gorillas how to avoid obesity and have bodies with more muscle and less fat.

Too many carbs can lead to diabetes. Too much of the wrong kind of fats may lead to heart disease. Could gorilla eating habits (which nutritionally, in many ways are similar to human needs) be the answer to the obesity epidemic we are experiencing.

Could shifting your dietary intake of nutrient sources be the answer to not only having the body/figure you want but avoiding the diseases associated with being over-weight or obese?

Whole Foods and Organic Foods…Is it Worth the Extra Money?

There is no exact, “one-size fit all” definition for value, except when you are comparing two exact same things and the only difference is the price…then the lower priced offer is clearly better value!

Unfortunately, this is not the case when trying to compare organically grown products vs. conventionally grown products, and whether or not they are worth, the sometimes substantial, increased cost.

First let’s look at the facts as they exist now:

Studies have shown that organic foods, in general, do not have greater “nutritional” values than conventionally grown foods (i.e. do not have larger amounts of nutrients like vitamins and minerals)
Studies have shown that organic foods do have lower numbers and amounts of pesticide residues
Surveys as to whether or not organic foods taste better are mixed and non-conclusive.

From a health perspective (eliminating other motivating economic or long term environmental concerns, if any), the most likely benefit of eating organic food products would be derived due to reduced exposure to pesticide residues.

It is important to remember that the term “organic” does not mean “NO” pesticide levels, it assures reduced pesticide levels. (pesticides can remain in the soil and enter foods even when no synthetic pesticides are used).

We are also making the “pretty good” but not guaranteed assumption, that the natural pesticides used are safer than the synthetic pesticides.

The government sets what it considers to be safe levels of pesticides allowable in food products, whether they are organic or not. So if measuring safety via the government’s definition, most food products like fruits and vegetables, whether organic or not, are safe.

The question that arises is: “If organic food products have lower numbers of different pesticides and lower amounts of each of these pesticides, aren’t they safer?”

The answer to this question is: “Probably, Maybe,…..We really don’t know!”

A frustrating answer…I know, but there just aren’t any long term studies in humans demonstrating that groups of people who are long term consumers of organic food products have less diseases like cancer. Common sense says that less of a “bad” thing is “good” and I agree with this logic but it, alas, is just an opinion. We all know that sugar is not great for health but does eliminating it completely from your diet reduce disease risk vs. someone who just consumes modest amounts of it?. We just don’t know.

So to get back to our original question: “Are organic products worth the extra money they cost?”

If the whole concept of organic farming appeals to you and you like the idea of consuming less pesticides, even though it may or may not provide any meaningful extra health benefits, then the extra money is worth the peace of mind.

On the other hand, if you are on a budget and need to watch your dollars, then BY ALL MEANS, BUY REGULARLY GROWN FRUITS AND VEGETABLE. THEIR HEALTH BENEFITS FAR OUT WEIGHT ANY POTENTIAL RISK FROM HIGHER PESTICIDE LEVELS!

Curt Hendrix, M.S., C.C.N., C.N.S.

RELATED: What Are The Healthiest Holiday Foods?

Dangers of Fast Food for Kids

A new study published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, states that fathers are more likely to contribute to their children’s obesity because they are more lenient when it comes to letting the kids eat at fast food restaurants.

To the researchers surprise during the 15 month study, dads spent more time at fast food restaurants with the kids than the moms did.

Obviously both dads and moms have tremendous impact upon what their children eat, and studies show that in the vast majority of cases, children’s eating habits, whether “good” or “bad” are most influenced by ones parents.

If you think that you as a parent my fall into this group, the easiest place to start to improve is in the supermarket. If you make better purchases there of healthy food choices, your kids have less temptation and fewer options to eat poorly (at least while they are in the house).

Get a picture from the internet of what 5 lbs. of fat actually looks like and show it to your kids. Get a picture of an artery that has closed due to poor eating choices, and show that to your kids. You’d be surprised how many children retain these images and slowly but surely start to make better eating choices.

But the best place to start is right at home.

Curt Hendrix

Good News for Coffee Lovers with Heart Disease

It is no surprise that more people drink coffee than those who don’t. According to the National Coffee association over 50% of Americans drink coffee and average 3 cups a day.

Heart disease is the number one killer of men and women and many heart patients have wondered whether or not their “coffee” habit was dangerous because of their condition.

Well a new study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, shows that women with heart disease or a previous heart attack, who continued to drink coffee, lived just as long as women with heart disease who didn’t consume coffee.

The new study followed nearly 12,000 U.S. nurses with a history of heart disease or stroke. It found that those who regularly drank caffeinated coffee were no more likely to die than non-drinkers during the study period, which for some, lasted more than 20 years. (the findings held true for women who even drank 4 or more cups of coffee a day.

The take away from this study, is that if you love coffee and already have diagnosed heart disease or have already had a heart attack, continuing to drink coffee, at least in moderate amounts, does not seem to add any addition risk to women.

Unfortunately, the researchers had no data to report on men.

The “health” pros and cons of coffee seem to indicate that moderate coffee consumption does not seem to pose much of a health risk to most people. If you would like to read an article discussing the Pros and Cons of coffee consumption please go to my recent blog post: “Caffeine…Is It Good or Bad For You-The Low Down on Caffeine”

To the best of health,

Curt Hendrix, M.S., C.C.N., C.N.S

Is Caffeine Good for You or Bad for You? The Lowdown on Caffeine

Nine out of 10 people consume caffeine every day. The main sources of this caffeine are coffee, tea, chocolate, and sodas. The average person gets about 280 mg/day of caffeine from the sources, which is the equivalent of 2 cups of coffee.

Most of us have heard conflicting information as to whether or not caffeine is “good or bad” for us. After reading this article, you will learn that the health “benefits” of caffeine seem to far out-weight any negative information you may have read about it.*

*It should be noted that the benefits described below were associated with, coffee, as the source of caffeine. Therefore it is possible that some of the benefits described below come about as a result of “other” compounds found in coffee and not the caffeine. This seems to be the case for Type 2 diabetes decreased risk. Both caffeinated and non-caffeinated coffees seem to have helped.

The Good:

1- Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant. It increases your metabolic rate and the number of calories your burn (but not near as much as exercise.)

2- Short-term it can increase your mental focus.

3- Can help asthma patients to breathe better

4- Taken before exercise, can enhance performance

5- Men have a 40% reduced risk of developing gallstones when ingesting caffeine

6- May reduce risk of developing Parkinson’s disease

7- May reduce risk of colon cancer

8- May reduce risk of liver cirrhosis

9- May reduce risk of tooth decay

10- May reduce risk of developing Type 2 diabetes but it may be another ingredient in the coffee and not the caffeine that conveys this benefit

11- May reduce the risk of developing dementia

12- May improve heart artery function and increase blood flow

The Bad:

1- Caffeine can increase blood pressure for several hours after ingestion

2- Can cause nervousness

3- May increase the number of migraines experienced in chronic sufferers

4- Cause or worsen heartburn

5- May cause insomnia

6- May increase risk of arthritis (rheumatoid)

7- Though other compounds in coffee may reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, for people already diagnosed, caffeine can increase blood sugar levels.

The Bottom Line:

The health benefits of “moderate caffeine” consumption (250-400 mg/day) are potentially significant. By keeping your caffeine ingestion at this level you get all of the potential health benefits and reduce the risk of some of the negative side-effects from occurring.

But, for those of you suffering from chronic migraines, caffeine presents a real problem! Many sufferers report that ingesting caffeine actually helps with their current, short-term, migraine pain. But, the problem with using caffeine is that it is known to cause an increase in the number of migraines you experience.

Though it is controversial if one can become “addicted” to caffeine, it is clear that many people become dependent upon it and that there are definite withdrawal symptoms that occur when people try to eliminate it, after using it for a long time.

The symptoms of caffeine withdrawal are:

Headache
Fatigue
Drowsiness
Irritability
Difficulty concentrating
Nausea
Muscle pain or stiffness

Chronic migraine sufferers will experience a significant improvement in their migraines if they withdraw caffeine from their diets. But to get this benefit you have to be willing to deal with the symptoms of caffeine withdrawal. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THESE SYMPTOMS WILL LAST FOR ONLY 2-9 DAYS AND THAT IF YOU WITHDRAW GRADUALLY, YOU MAY NOT EXPERIENCE THEM AT ALL OR ONLY SLIGHTLY.

To the best of health,

Curt Hendrix, M.S., C.C.N, C.N.S.,

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BIRTH CONTROL PILLS AND RISK OF BLOOD CLOTS

Two recent studies have suggested that certain birth control pills that contain the progestin, “Drospirenone” may have 2-3 times the risk of causing blood clots (Venous thromboembolism, VTE) than other birth control pills that do not contain this form of progestin.

These studies contradict an earlier study which said the risk of VTE is not increased with drospirenone containing birth control pills.

The FDA is evaluating the situation and will comment once any new information becomes available.

Brand names of birth control pills containing drospirenone are: Yaz, Yasmin, Beyaz and Safyral.

You may want to discuss this information with your physician, especially if you have had any kind of blood clotting issues, previously.

Many women of child-bearing age, who are on birth control pills, also suffer from migraine headaches. If you have not been able to control your migraines, please go to www.migrelief.com for a safe and very effective option.

Potential Benefits of Breastfeeding Continue to Grow

THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF BREASTFEEDING YOUR CHILD CONTINUE TO GROW

Just recently, a study completed at several universities in England, found that babies who were breastfed for at least 4 months had significantly less behavioral problems than those who were formula-fed, by the time they reached 5 years old.

In fact the rate of occurrence of behavioral problems was 2.7 times greater in the formula-fed babies (16% occurrence vs. 6%). This finding was consistent and was not affected by socio-economic differences or parental factors.

The researchers said one possible reason for the findings was that breast milk contains large amounts of essential long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, growth factors and hormones, which are important in brain and nervous system development. These are the same essential fatty acids that are found in fish like salmon and tuna.

These findings add to the list of other benefits that have been suggested for breastfeeding. Some studies have suggested that breastfed babies have lower rates of infection, higher IQ’s and less allergies and that mothers who breastfeed, may have a lower risk of certain types of cancers. (i.e. breast, endometrial, ovarian cancers).

Is Memory Loss Normal as We Age?

We all occasionally forget something, whether or not we are young or old. But what type of “forgetting” can indicate more serious concerns?

Diets which contain vegetable (and fruits, to some extent) have more antioxidants and minerals which may protect brain function in general and specifically cognition and memory. Excess sugar intake, on the other hand, most probably will decrease brain function and memory over the long term.

Spices may help to protect brain function and memory as well. Turmeric, the Indian spice, which contains the phytochemical curcumin, is an example of a dietary ingredient, that may protect the brain and thereby memory.

Aerobic exercise may be neuroprotective as well. Also, studies are showing that exercising your brain, by trying to learn new things may prove that the adage of “use it or lose it”, may be true.

You may find this quick test about memory offered by WebMD, fun, interesting and helpful. Why don’t you take it? It only takes a few minutes.

For a comprehensive supplement to enhance cognitive function, memory and brain health, consider Calm & Clever.

Curt Hendrix, M.S., C.C.N., C.N.S

A STRANGER COULD BE KILLING YOUR UNBORN CHILD!

PREGNANT WOMEN EXPOSED TO SECOND HAND SMOKE ARE AT INCREASED RISK OF STILLBIRTHS.

This article published in Reuters Health contains extremely important information for pregnant women who may be exposed to second hand smoke.

NEW YORK – – “Pregnant women who live or work with smokers may be at slightly higher risk of having a stillbirth,” suggests a study that adds to evidence that even secondhand smoke can harm unborn babies.

Newborns also weighed a little less and had smaller heads if their mothers were passive smokers, Canadian researchers found.

“This information is important for women, their families and healthcare providers,” Dr. Joan Crane of Eastern Health in St. John’s and colleagues write in the BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Secondhand smoke is thought to expose people to about one percent of the smoke that active smokers inhale. According to the researchers, “undiluted side-stream smoke contains many harmful chemicals and in greater concentration than cigarette smoke inhaled through a filter.”

Those chemicals may harm the fetus in a variety of ways, for instance by restricting blood flow and possibly damaging the placenta.

Little is known about the risk of stillbirth in passive smokers, so Crane and her colleagues used a database of pregnant women from the Canadian provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador to shed light on the question.

They also looked at other birth outcomes, such as head circumference, which has been linked to kids’ intellectual development.

Of nearly 12,000 women in the database, 11 percent said they had been exposed to secondhand smoke.

The rate of stillbirth, in which the baby dies during the third trimester of pregnancy, was 0.83 percent in passive smokers and 0.37 percent in women who didn’t breathe tobacco fumes.

Passive smokers had more than three times the odds of stillbirth.

“This is huge,” said Dr. Hamisu Salihu, an expert on stillbirth at the University of South Florida in Tampa. “We can now inform patients that exposure to secondhand smoke means they can lose their baby.”

The Canadian researchers also found that babies born to passive smokers weighed 54 grams, or nearly 2 ounces, less than babies whose mothers lived and worked in smoke-free households.

And their heads were slightly smaller, too, measuring 0.24 centimeters (about 0.1 inch) less on average.

Salihu said head circumference has been associated with IQ, although the link is indirect.

“Policy makers should really take this matter seriously,” he concluded. “We need to enact laws to protect these babies.”