Category: Nutrition

Study of Fish Oil Quality and Content

fish oil capsules
Image courtesy of nccam.nih.gov

Independent testing by a White Plains, NY firm, ConsumerLab.com, has found that 7 of 24 fish oil supplements tested exhibited quality problems.  Some products exhibited multiple issues.

  • Three products contained less of the omega 3 fatty acids EPA and/or DHA than claimed,
  • Three product were spoiled (including a children’s supplement)
  • One enteric-coated product released its ingredients too early
  • One supplement for pets exceeded the contamination limit for PCBs.

We recommend fish oil supplements highly because their Omega-3 fatty acids help improve circulation, integrity of blood vessels, proper brain functioning, flexibility and permeability of cell membranes, and helps protect the retina’s photoreceptor cells.  They help to prevent and treat such conditions as glaucoma and macular degeneration.

You can access detailed test results at ConsumerLab.com

Omega-3s Can Reduce Heart Failure Hospitalizations

Image courtesy of sokhcn.baria-vungtau.gov.vn

Here’s another example of how omega 3 fatty acids can benefit your health: omega-3s can help people suffering from heart failure.

In a study presented at the Heart Failure Society of America 2010 Scientific Meeting, researchers stated that those taking omega-3s over a four year period “demonstrated a minor but statistically significant improvement in LVEF [left ventricular ejection fraction]. . . these effects were also associated with a reduction in hospitalizations for heart failure.”

Source: heartwire

We highly recommend that those wishing to prevent or suffering from such eye conditions as glaucoma, cone-rod disorders, retinitis pigmentosa, or diabetic retinopathy consider taking a daily dose of omega-3 fish oil.  Check with your doctor first, however, if you are taking a blood thinner.

Are Grains Always Good For You? Potential Diabetes Risk

 

Though we have often heard that whole grains are an essential part of a healthy diet, but this may not be true for everyone. According to Dr. Mercola, over 85% of Americans have trouble controlling their insulin levels which is related to the development of diabetes.

Eating carbohydrate-containing foods, whether high in sugar or high in starch (such as bread – even organic, whole-grain bread, potatoes, processed breakfast cereals, and rice), temporarily raises blood sugar and insulin levels. The blood sugar-raising effect of a food, called its “glycemic index,” depends on how rapidly its carbohydrate is absorbed. People eating large amounts of foods with high glycemic indices, have been reported to be at increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

However, diets high in total carbohydrates do not necessarily increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and some studies have found no independent relationship between sugar intake and the development of glucose intolerance.

For more on natural diabetes treatment and prevention as well as information on the related condition diabetic retinopathy, please visit our website.

Vast Majority of Americans Have Inadequate Diets Per National Cancer Institute

fruit and veg
Image courtesy of USDA

A study of over 16,000 US adults has prompted researchers from the National Cancer Institute and the National Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion to announce that almost no one in the population manages to eat withing the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

The findings, published in the Journal of Nutrition include:

  • The majority of those studied failed to meet MyPyramid (https://www.mypyramid.gov/) guidelines except in total grains, meats, and beans
  • 90% of people under 70 and 80% of people over 7o eat too many “discretionary calories”
  • Young adults are the most likely to eat too few fruits, milk and oils
  • People between 31 and 50 are most likely to drink too much alcohol

According to this study “nearly everyone failed to meet recommendations for dark green vegetables, orange vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.”

Source: Nutraingredients

A balanced, nutrient rich diet is essential to eye health and to overall health.  Poor nutrition can be linked to everything from dark circles under your eyes to glaucoma.

Lutein and Zeaxanthin Reduce Macular Degeneration Risk

The carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin are selectively absorbed by the macula of the eye in order to protect one from developing diseases like macular degeneration.  A new study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association seeks to measure lutein and zeaxanthin consumption by age, sex, and ethnicity.

head of brocolli
Image by bgraphic

Among all age groups, both sexes, and all ethnicities, intakes of lutein were greater than of zeaxanthin.   Zeaxanthin to lutein ratios in Mexican Americans was considerably greater than other ethnicities (other Hispanics, non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, other races). Lower zeaxanthin to lutein ratios were measured in groups at risk for age-related macular degeneration (e.g., older participants, women).  The authors of this study state that their findings “suggest that the relative intake of lutein and zeaxanthin may be important to age-related macular degeneration risk.”

Source: LefDailyNews

Green vegetables such as kale, spinach, turnip greens, collard greens, romaine lettuce, broccoli, zucchini, garden peas and brussel sprouts are among the best sources of lutein and zeaxanthin. For more on food sources of nutrients, visit our website.

Learn more about preventing and treating macular degeneration.

DHA / Painkillers Destroy Cancer Cells

Researchers have recently discovered that the omega-3 fatty acid DHA can kill cancer cells while babies are in vitro.

Scientists tested the effect of DHA on cultured neuroblastoma cells (common cells associated with infancy and childhood cancers) and analyzed them for DHA’s metabolic byproducts. They found that while DHA itself destroyed the cancer cells, the fatty acid’s derivatives were even more effective at killing these cells.

According to Life Extension Magazine, “The current study and previous research show that while DHA has been demonstrated to help protect neural cells from stress-induced apoptosis (programmed cell death), it also induces apoptosis in neuroblastoma cells.” Study author Helena Gleissman PhD says “We hope that this study can provide a deeper understanding of the actions of omega-3 fatty acids and their products in cancer cells, and why they can be of such high importance in treatment of the disease.”

Source: lef.org

Painkillers

Researchers report that common pain killers such as aspirin may be connected to cancer cells self-destruction.

They report that the connection between taking anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin and lower occurences of some  cancers caused them to investigate how one such drug, which is used to treat fever and pain, could have the effect of causing the death of cancer cells.

Researchers:  Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif

FDA Warns Against Accidental Infant Vitamin Overdose

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published a warning to parents and caregivers about the dangers of accidental overdose when giving infants liquid vitamin D supplement products.

Some products are sold with droppers that could allow harmful amounts of the vitamin to be given to an infant. These droppers can hold a greater amount of liquid vitamin D than an infant should receive.  Infants should not receive more than 400 international units (IUs) of vitamin D a day.

“It is important that infants not get more than the recommended daily amount of vitamin D,” says Linda M. Katz, M.D., M.P.H., interim chief medical officer in FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. “Parents and caregivers should only use the dropper that comes with the vitamin D supplement purchased.”

Vitamin D helps in the formation of strong bones and is essential to keep children from developing rickets.  Opinions vary as to whether breastfed babies require additional vitamin D supplementation (it is a part of most infant formulas).  Regular exposure to sunlight can provide children with a good source of vitamin D and is, in fact, the way that human were designed to receive the vitamin.  Darker skinned children and babies whose mothers suffer from a vitamin D deficiency (rare in the developed world) might have deficiencies that require supplementation.

Source: FDA and Kellymom.com

Ginger Can Reduce Post-Exercise Pain & Inflammation

A recent study in The Journal of Pain shows that both raw ginger and heat-treated ginger reduce muscle pain after exercise by approximately 25%, respectively.  Researchers state that the study suggests “ginger may have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties akin to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.” The rhizome of the ginger plant is a potent source of antioxidants, including gingerols, shogaols, zingerones and other ketone derivatives; these are likely the aspects of the plant responsible for reducing pain and inflammation.

Ginger is also a great addition to juices formulated for eye health. Please visit our website for information on juicing with ginger.

Source: https://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Ginger-supplements-may-reduce-pain-after-exercise-Study

Pumpkin Seed, Macular Degeneration & BPH

Macular Degeneration:

Pumpkin seed oil is rich in zeaxanthin, which protects the retina and slow the progress of macular degeneration. In 2003, the Medical Research Council Environmental Epidemiology Unit at the University of Southampton in England announced that zeaxanthin “may be far more important in preventing or stabilizing macular degeneration than previously realized.”  Learn more about zeaxanthin.

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia:

When pumpkin seed is taken along with saw palmetto symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia can be reduced (BPH).   Scientists have noted that the benefit may arise from some of the contents of pumpkin seed, such as plant sterols, zinc, and  fatty acids. Learn more about benign prostate hyperplasia.

 

Ninety Percent of Americans Eat Too Much Salt

Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently published findings on Americans’ salt consumption: only 1 in 10 people are staying within the recommended guidelines.

Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently published findings on Americans’ salt consumption: only 1 in 10 people are staying within the recommended guidelines.   One teaspoon of salt per day is the recommended limit for those who are young and healthy.   Most of this salt is not coming from what we sprinkle directly on our food.  Instead, it comes from sources we might not expect: grain mixtures, frozen meals and soups; ham, bacon, sausages and lunchmeats; breads; meat, poultry and fish mixtures; and cakes, cookies and crackers.

Source: NPR.