kebaldwin
Fri, Sep-01-06, 15:57
September 01, 2006 - Through all stages of life, from childhood to adulthood to old age, your body has different nutritional needs. Recent studies indicate that sufficient dietary fiber intake in youth may help combat obesity and promote heart health later in life. Children and young adults should also balance omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acid intake for intestinal and colon health. In adulthood, women should take a multi-vitamin, long before becoming pregnant, to reduce risk of complications with their children. To protect brain health in late adulthood, antioxidants are key.
This week's newsletter contains a nice array of nutrition studies for various health concerns. In the August 2006 edition of the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism, researchers from England conducted a multi-center, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study in 325 patients who were suffering with nerve degeneration from alcohol abuse1. The patients were randomly assigned to receive a combination of vitamins B1, B2 B6 and B12, a second group was given the same B vitamins along with folic acid, with a third group receiving placebo. At the end of the 12-week study, both groups that received the B complex vitamins (with and without folic acid) showed significant improvement in nerve health compared to the placebo group. It' s important to point out the dosages utilized were far higher than the miniscule RDA/DV levels in most multi-vitamins.
There were two interesting articles published in the September 2006 edition of the prestigious Journal of Pediatrics. In the first article, Dr. Williams from Columbia University discussed the importance of dietary fiber in childhood2. He indicated that studies suggested that dietary fiber in childhood could be beneficial in not only preventing but also treating obesity, as well as decreasing high cholesterol levels. Both obesity and high cholesterol, of course, are potential risk factors for future cardiovascular disease. He notes that in adults, a high-fiber, low-fat diet has been linked to reduced rates of abnormal cellular development of the colon, although he felt it was highly likely that benefit would be even greater if this regimen was started in childhood. He indicates that children's typical dietary fiber intake may not be adequate to optimize health and prevent disease. Unfortunately, the typical child's diet in this country is full of soda, candy, refined sugar/carbs, fried foods, etc., providing so few vitamins, minerals, omega-3 essential fatty acids EPA/DHA and antioxidants, not to mention fiber.
In the second article, researchers from the University of British Columbia discussed the effects of dietary lipids and intestinal inflammatory concerns3. The article notes that inflammatory concerns of the intestines are increasing in prevalence among western nations. In addition, it appears that younger age groups are now being affected by this as well. Along with this increase in inflammatory concerns there has been an increase in the amount of dietary omega-6 fatty acids consumed, with an increasing ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids. A plausible mechanism noted was that high intake of linoleic acid (omega 6) may contribute to inflammatory bowel concerns by inhibiting EPA and DHA synthesis (both omega-3s fatty acids) along with increasing synthesis of arachidonic acid, leading to pro-inflammatory mediators with increase in oxidative stress. It' s further noted that high omega 6 fatty intakes in the neonatal milk diet resulted in increased colonic omega-6 fatty acids and an exaggerated response to chemically induced colon damage, whereas a diet low in milk (with decreased omega-6) and high in omega-3 fatty acids increased colonic omega-3 fatty acids and lowered colonic damage.
In the September 2006 edition of the American Journal of Epidemiology, a study was conducted to determine the effects of taking multi-vitamins in regard to the risk of pre-eclampsia4. 1835 women were enrolled in a Pregnancy Exposure to Pre-eclampsia Prevention study in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania between 1997 and 2001. These women were all less than 16 weeks pregnant and were asked whether they'd regularly used multi-vitamins or prenatal vitamins in the last six months. The women were classified as being as either users or non-users of vitamins. It was found that those who did not use prenatal vitamins six months prior to pregnancy had a 4.4% risk of pre-eclampsia, versus 3.8% in those who used multi-vitamins. Overall, it was noted that regular use of multi-vitamins was associated with a 45% reduction in pre-eclampsia risk. Interestingly, pre-pregnancy overweight has some modifying effect. Women who were thinner and took multi-vitamins had a 71% reduction in pre-eclampsia compared to thin women who did not take prenatal vitamins. On the other hand, there seemed to be no real benefit for vitamin-taking in overweight pregnant women. The study concluded that the results suggested that regular use of a multi-vitamin supplement in the peri-conceptual (prior to or at the time of conception) period may help prevent pre-eclampsia, particularly among lean women. Clearly, prenatal vitamins are essential for all women considering pregnancy; they're well-proven to dramatically reduce the risk of birth defects. Even the FDA agrees with me on this point.
In another article published in the September 2006 edition of the European Journal of Pharmacology, it was noted that aging was a significant risk factor for degeneration of the nervous system, adversely a ffecting memory and movement5. Significant data suggested that oxidative stress was involved in the pathophysiology of this degeneration. Oxidative stress appeared to cause damage to neurons by a ffecting intra-cellular signaling, ultimately leading to cellular death. Certain antioxidants have been studied for their effects in reducing the deleterious effects on neuronal cell death. It's noted in the article that increasing numbers of studies have shown the efficacy of polyphenolic antioxidants in fruits and vegetables to diminish neuronal death. In addition, they mention other beneficial polyphenolic compounds from green tea, gingko biloba, blueberry extract, red wine components and curcumin (turmeric). These are some of the best studied nutrients which I recommend to my patients and I personally consume.
Finally, in the journal Diabetes Care September 2006, researchers from Germany performed a study on advanced glycation end products (AGEs)6. Thirteen individuals with elevated blood sugar were given a heat-processed test meal containing high levels of AGEs. (Sounds like the typical American meal to me.) Before this meal, they were given 1,050 mg of benfotiamine a day, and then afterward for three days. Clear markers of endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress were measured. It was found that these abnormalities were significantly reduced by supplementing with benfotiamine. One of the most important things you can do as you age is to keep ideal weight and blood sugar. There are numerous nutrients proven beneficial and helpful in protecting cells from elevated blood sugar including benfotiamine, alpha lipoic acid, chromium, magnesium and many others.
A nice assortment of studies, if I do say so myself. The articles span prior to pregnancy, childhood and well into adulthood. The bottom line is that proper nutritional supplementation, exercise and healthy diet can be very beneficial.
1. T. J. Peters, J. Kotowicz, , W. Nyka, W. Kozubski, V. Kuznetsov , F. Vanderbist, S. De Niet, D. Marcereuil, M. Coffiner. Treatment of Alcoholic Polyneuropathy with Vitamin B Complex: A Randomised Controlled Trial. Alcohol and Alcoholism. Advance Access, published Aug. 21, 2006.
2. Williams, CL. Dietary fiber in childhood. J Pediatr. 2006 Sep;149(3S):S121-S130.
3. http://journals.elsevierhealth.com/periodicals/ympd/current).
4. Lisa M. Bodnar, Gong Tang, Roberta B. Ness, Gail Harger, and James M. Roberts. Periconceptional Multivitamin Use Reduces the Risk of Preeclampsia. Am J of Epidemiol. (Advance Access published on June 13, 2006) 164: 470-477.
5. D. Allan Butterfield, Marzia Perluigi and Rukhsana Sultana. Oxidative stress in Alzheimer's disease brain: New insights from redox proteomics. Eruopean J of Pharmacology. Sept. 06. Vol. 545, Issue 1, p. 39-50.
6. Alin Stirban, Monica Negrean, Bernd Stratmann, Thomas Gawlowski, Tina Horstmann, et al. Benfotiamine Prevents Macro-and Microvascular Endothelial Dysfunction and Oxidative Stress Following a Meal Rich in Advanced Glycation End Products in Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes Care 2006 29: 2064-2071.
http://www.vitacost.com/newsletter/newsletter.cfm?nl=292&csrc=EM-FYH20060901:main
This week's newsletter contains a nice array of nutrition studies for various health concerns. In the August 2006 edition of the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism, researchers from England conducted a multi-center, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study in 325 patients who were suffering with nerve degeneration from alcohol abuse1. The patients were randomly assigned to receive a combination of vitamins B1, B2 B6 and B12, a second group was given the same B vitamins along with folic acid, with a third group receiving placebo. At the end of the 12-week study, both groups that received the B complex vitamins (with and without folic acid) showed significant improvement in nerve health compared to the placebo group. It' s important to point out the dosages utilized were far higher than the miniscule RDA/DV levels in most multi-vitamins.
There were two interesting articles published in the September 2006 edition of the prestigious Journal of Pediatrics. In the first article, Dr. Williams from Columbia University discussed the importance of dietary fiber in childhood2. He indicated that studies suggested that dietary fiber in childhood could be beneficial in not only preventing but also treating obesity, as well as decreasing high cholesterol levels. Both obesity and high cholesterol, of course, are potential risk factors for future cardiovascular disease. He notes that in adults, a high-fiber, low-fat diet has been linked to reduced rates of abnormal cellular development of the colon, although he felt it was highly likely that benefit would be even greater if this regimen was started in childhood. He indicates that children's typical dietary fiber intake may not be adequate to optimize health and prevent disease. Unfortunately, the typical child's diet in this country is full of soda, candy, refined sugar/carbs, fried foods, etc., providing so few vitamins, minerals, omega-3 essential fatty acids EPA/DHA and antioxidants, not to mention fiber.
In the second article, researchers from the University of British Columbia discussed the effects of dietary lipids and intestinal inflammatory concerns3. The article notes that inflammatory concerns of the intestines are increasing in prevalence among western nations. In addition, it appears that younger age groups are now being affected by this as well. Along with this increase in inflammatory concerns there has been an increase in the amount of dietary omega-6 fatty acids consumed, with an increasing ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids. A plausible mechanism noted was that high intake of linoleic acid (omega 6) may contribute to inflammatory bowel concerns by inhibiting EPA and DHA synthesis (both omega-3s fatty acids) along with increasing synthesis of arachidonic acid, leading to pro-inflammatory mediators with increase in oxidative stress. It' s further noted that high omega 6 fatty intakes in the neonatal milk diet resulted in increased colonic omega-6 fatty acids and an exaggerated response to chemically induced colon damage, whereas a diet low in milk (with decreased omega-6) and high in omega-3 fatty acids increased colonic omega-3 fatty acids and lowered colonic damage.
In the September 2006 edition of the American Journal of Epidemiology, a study was conducted to determine the effects of taking multi-vitamins in regard to the risk of pre-eclampsia4. 1835 women were enrolled in a Pregnancy Exposure to Pre-eclampsia Prevention study in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania between 1997 and 2001. These women were all less than 16 weeks pregnant and were asked whether they'd regularly used multi-vitamins or prenatal vitamins in the last six months. The women were classified as being as either users or non-users of vitamins. It was found that those who did not use prenatal vitamins six months prior to pregnancy had a 4.4% risk of pre-eclampsia, versus 3.8% in those who used multi-vitamins. Overall, it was noted that regular use of multi-vitamins was associated with a 45% reduction in pre-eclampsia risk. Interestingly, pre-pregnancy overweight has some modifying effect. Women who were thinner and took multi-vitamins had a 71% reduction in pre-eclampsia compared to thin women who did not take prenatal vitamins. On the other hand, there seemed to be no real benefit for vitamin-taking in overweight pregnant women. The study concluded that the results suggested that regular use of a multi-vitamin supplement in the peri-conceptual (prior to or at the time of conception) period may help prevent pre-eclampsia, particularly among lean women. Clearly, prenatal vitamins are essential for all women considering pregnancy; they're well-proven to dramatically reduce the risk of birth defects. Even the FDA agrees with me on this point.
In another article published in the September 2006 edition of the European Journal of Pharmacology, it was noted that aging was a significant risk factor for degeneration of the nervous system, adversely a ffecting memory and movement5. Significant data suggested that oxidative stress was involved in the pathophysiology of this degeneration. Oxidative stress appeared to cause damage to neurons by a ffecting intra-cellular signaling, ultimately leading to cellular death. Certain antioxidants have been studied for their effects in reducing the deleterious effects on neuronal cell death. It's noted in the article that increasing numbers of studies have shown the efficacy of polyphenolic antioxidants in fruits and vegetables to diminish neuronal death. In addition, they mention other beneficial polyphenolic compounds from green tea, gingko biloba, blueberry extract, red wine components and curcumin (turmeric). These are some of the best studied nutrients which I recommend to my patients and I personally consume.
Finally, in the journal Diabetes Care September 2006, researchers from Germany performed a study on advanced glycation end products (AGEs)6. Thirteen individuals with elevated blood sugar were given a heat-processed test meal containing high levels of AGEs. (Sounds like the typical American meal to me.) Before this meal, they were given 1,050 mg of benfotiamine a day, and then afterward for three days. Clear markers of endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress were measured. It was found that these abnormalities were significantly reduced by supplementing with benfotiamine. One of the most important things you can do as you age is to keep ideal weight and blood sugar. There are numerous nutrients proven beneficial and helpful in protecting cells from elevated blood sugar including benfotiamine, alpha lipoic acid, chromium, magnesium and many others.
A nice assortment of studies, if I do say so myself. The articles span prior to pregnancy, childhood and well into adulthood. The bottom line is that proper nutritional supplementation, exercise and healthy diet can be very beneficial.
1. T. J. Peters, J. Kotowicz, , W. Nyka, W. Kozubski, V. Kuznetsov , F. Vanderbist, S. De Niet, D. Marcereuil, M. Coffiner. Treatment of Alcoholic Polyneuropathy with Vitamin B Complex: A Randomised Controlled Trial. Alcohol and Alcoholism. Advance Access, published Aug. 21, 2006.
2. Williams, CL. Dietary fiber in childhood. J Pediatr. 2006 Sep;149(3S):S121-S130.
3. http://journals.elsevierhealth.com/periodicals/ympd/current).
4. Lisa M. Bodnar, Gong Tang, Roberta B. Ness, Gail Harger, and James M. Roberts. Periconceptional Multivitamin Use Reduces the Risk of Preeclampsia. Am J of Epidemiol. (Advance Access published on June 13, 2006) 164: 470-477.
5. D. Allan Butterfield, Marzia Perluigi and Rukhsana Sultana. Oxidative stress in Alzheimer's disease brain: New insights from redox proteomics. Eruopean J of Pharmacology. Sept. 06. Vol. 545, Issue 1, p. 39-50.
6. Alin Stirban, Monica Negrean, Bernd Stratmann, Thomas Gawlowski, Tina Horstmann, et al. Benfotiamine Prevents Macro-and Microvascular Endothelial Dysfunction and Oxidative Stress Following a Meal Rich in Advanced Glycation End Products in Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes Care 2006 29: 2064-2071.
http://www.vitacost.com/newsletter/newsletter.cfm?nl=292&csrc=EM-FYH20060901:main