(HealthDay News) — An amino acid called isoleucine may play an important role in weight loss, a new study suggests.

Japanese researchers fed mice a high-fat diet (45 percent of calories from fat) for six weeks. After the first two weeks, the mice were divided into two groups. One group received isoleucine in their drinking water while the control group received an inert substance. This continued for the remainder of the study.

Even though their dietary, fluid and caloric intake was the same, the mice who received the isoleucine gained less weight than those in the control group from day 17 to the end of the 28-day treatment period. The mice in the isoleucine group also had lower serum insulin concentrations, but there were no differences in levels of glucose, triglycerides or fatty acids.

The researchers also found that isoleucine improved the glucose-lowering effects of insulin, reduced fat deposits and increased fat metabolism.

The findings suggest that isoleucine may prove useful in the treatment of obesity, concluded the researchers, who called for clinical trials to test this hypothesis.

The study is published in the March issue of the Journal of Nutrition.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases offers weight loss advice.
– Robert Preidt

SOURCE: Journal of Nutrition, news release, Feb. 12, 2010Similar Posts:

• Acupuncture Eases Tamoxifen-Related Hot Flashes
• Trim Bundle Sale – Lose Unwanted Weight NOW
• Amino Acid May Be Key to Strong Teeth
• Chocolate Soothes the Stressed-Out Soul
• Oversized College Football Players May Face Heart Risks

(HealthDay News) — If you’re tempted to raid your child’s Halloween candy stash at the end of this month, here’s one reason you might not have to restrain yourself.

Spanish researchers put 42 men and women on a diet that included 40 grams of unsweetened cocoa powder (about 1.4 ounces) mixed with skim milk daily, or plain skim milk. After one month, those who drank the cocoa-flavored milk had lower levels of inflammatory markers associated with heart disease than those drinking the milk alone.

That result was critical because the participants, whose average age was about 70, were at high risk of cardiovascular disease because they had diabetes and three or more risk factors for heart disease, including smoking, high blood pressure, high levels of LDL “bad” cholesterol (more than 160 milligrams per deciliter), low levels of HDL “good” cholesterol (below 35 milligrams per deciliter), obesity or a family history of early coronary heart disease.

The inflammatory markers, called adhesion molecules, are proteins that cause white blood cells to stick to the walls of the arteries, which can lead to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques, explained Shelley McGuire, an associate professor of food science and nutrition at Washington State University and a spokeswoman for the American Society for Nutrition.

“One of the major strengths of the study was they were measuring adhesion molecules, which we have recently learned are very important in the formation of atherosclerosis,” McGuire said. “Another strength is that the study was randomized and controlled. Because of this, we can pretty confidently say there was something in the cocoa powder that had an effect.”

The researchers also found that the cocoa powder group had an increase in HDL cholesterol, which can help reduce levels of LDL cholesterol and has been shown to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant properties.

The study is published in the November issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

During the study, participants didn’t take additional vitamins or supplements, and the only cocoa-containing products they consumed were those provided by researchers.

Previous research has suggested chocolate may be beneficial for heart health because it contains anti-inflammatory chemicals called polyphenols. Polyphenols are also found in wine, coffee and tea, along with fruits and vegetables such as apples, broccoli, onions, blueberries, blackberries, cherries, strawberries, plums and red grapes, said Connie Diekman, director of university nutrition at Washington University in St. Louis.

“One of the best ways to get plenty of polyphenols is to consume lots of fruits and vegetables,” Diekman said.

The researchers noted the anti-inflammatory effects derived from cocoa were modest compared to those observed for other foods rich in polyphenols, such as wine.

And before you start inhaling candy bars, which are high in fat and calories, researchers noted that study participants were given non-fat, sugar-free cocoa powder and skim milk. Even then, they gained a small amount of weight.

In the study, the chocolate milk contained about 136 calories. If adding cocoa to your diet, be sure to reduce calories somewhere else, or get some extra exercise.

“My recommendation, as a registered dietitian, would be for people to look at cocoa — whether in the form of cocoa or chocolate — as a part of a healthful eating plan, not a magic bullet for reducing inflammation,” Diekman said. “If including cocoa and small amounts of chocolate in an otherwise healthful eating plan helps people enjoy what they eat and stick with that plan, then these things can fit.”

In findings that should come as no surprise, researchers noted that “adherence to the dietary protocol was excellent.”

More information

The National Confectioners Associationhas more on cocoa.
SOURCES: Connie Diekman, M.Ed., R.D., director, university nutrition, Washington University, St. Louis; Shelley McGuire, Ph.D., associate professor, food science & human nutrition, Washington State University, Pullman, Wash., and spokeswoman, American Society for Nutrition; November 2009, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Online Fitness Coaching is THE affordable, convenient alternative to better health….
Similar Posts:

• High Protein Brownies
• Chocolate Soothes the Stressed-Out Soul
• Cholesterol Measurements May Be Made Easier
• Oversized College Football Players May Face Heart Risks
• Diet, Cognitive Ability May Play Role in Heart Disease

(HealthDay News) — Both a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet such as the popular Atkins program and a low-fat, high-carb diet appear to help people lose pounds over the course of a year.

But as for mood? Only the low-fat diets will result in long-term improvement in mood, according to a study in the Nov. 9 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

People on both diets consumed roughly the same number of calories.

“Both an energy-reduced, very low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet and a conventional high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet are equally effective for achieving weight loss in overweight and obese individuals,” explained study author Grant D. Brinkworth, a research scientist with the food and nutritional sciences division of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation in Adelaide, Australia.

“Both dietary patterns also had similar effects on the cognitive domains assessed,” which were working memory and speed of processing, Brinkworth added. “However, the conventional high-carbohydrate, low-fat weight-loss diet was shown to have more positive effects on mood compared to the very low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet.”

Dr. Ewald Horvath, interim chairman of psychiatry at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, said the study was the first “to show both long-term weight loss and improved mood.”

“This study looked at one factor, and prior studies haven’t focused on psychological factors,” Horvath said. “This is a great study focusing on something very important.”

Other studies have found short-term improvements in mood in people who lose weight on different diets. And the new study also found such improvements over the first eight weeks of dieting.

But few studies have looked at long-term mood changes among people who lose weight.

Health organizations, such as the American Heart Association, tend to advocate higher-carb, low-fat diets. But many overweight and obese people are propelled toward the high-fat diets such as Atkins, “Livin’ La Vida” and “Good Calories, Bad Calories,” perhaps because of quick initial weight loss, Horvath said.

For the new study, 106 overweight and obese adults, who averaged 50 years old, were randomly assigned to one of two diets — a low-calorie, low-carb, high-fat plan or a high-carb, low-fat diet — for one year. Both diets restricted calories to about 1,433 to 1,672 a day.

A year later, average weight loss was about the same in each group: 30.2 pounds.

After the first eight weeks, participants in both groups showed mood improvements, but that lasted only in the low-fat group. After a year, the mood of those in the high-fat group returned to what it had been before they started dieting, the study found.

“The exact mechanism for the observed effects on mood still remains largely unknown,” Brinkworth said. “However, if the mechanism for the return of mood toward more negative baseline levels following weight loss with a very low-carbohydrate diet is related to this diet being so far removed from normal dietary habits, then a very low-carbohydrate diet may be best recommended for individuals who habitually consume low amounts of carbohydrate foods in their diet.”

More carbs can increase serotonin concentrations in the brain, whereas added fat and protein can reduce concentrations. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter involved in mood.

“Altered mood has been shown to influence interpersonal behavior and, therefore, the consumption of a very low-carbohydrate diet may have psychosocial consequences for interpersonal behavior and relationships,” Brinkworth said. “I am not entirely clear as to the effects of mood on long-term weight loss; however a recent review article … suggested that one of the factors that may pose risk for poor long-term weight maintenance may be ‘eating in response to negative emotions and stress.’”

“Therefore, since negative mood may promote overeating, this suggests that consumption of a very low-carbohydrate diet over an even longer period beyond one year may have implications for maintaining dietary habits and weight loss maintenance,” he added. “Further, longer-term studies would be required to confirm this.”

More information

The American Dietetic Association has more on healthy eating.
SOURCES: Grant D. Brinkworth, Ph.D., research scientist, Food and Nutritional Sciences, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Adelaide, Australia; Ewald Horvath, M.D., professor and interim chairman, department of psychiatry, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami; Nov. 9, 2009, Archives of Internal Medicine

Online Fitness Coaching is THE affordable, convenient alternative to better health….Similar Posts:

• Pollution May Boost Pneumonia Risk for Seniors
• When Pounds Go, Sleep Apnea May Improve
• Meal Bars – Protein Supplementation For Those On The Go.
• New Weight Loss Aid?
• Four Diet Myths

The FDA issued a letter Friday to 30 beverage manufacturers, giving them 30 days to provide evidence that the combination of caffeine and alcohol is safe.

“Today the FDA has listed caffeine only as an ingredient for use in soft drinks,” said Deputy Commissioner Dr. Joshua Sharfstein. “The agency has not approved caffeine for use in alcoholic beverages.”

FDA officials stressed they have not reached a conclusion about the safety of beverages like Joose and Charge. Instead they are trying to understand the companies’ legal rationale for marketing the products.

“There are some unusual safety questions raised by the addition of caffeine to these alcoholic beverages,” said FDA special adviser Mike Taylor. “So the burden is on the companies to provide evidence that supports the conclusion this use is safe.”

The FDA decided to take action at the urging of state attorneys general from New York, California, Maryland and 14 other states, who contend the drinks appeal to underage drinkers and encourage reckless behavior. Young adults already are the primary demographic for highly caffeinated drinks like Red Bull.

Larger brewers like Anheuser-Busch already have removed caffeine from their alcoholic energy drinks. Remaining manufacturers include smaller firms like Los Angeles-based Joose Beverage and Portland-based Charge Beverages.

Calls placed to the companies Friday morning were not immediately returned. It was not clear Friday which 30 companies received the FDA letter, which was not immediately available to the press.

The market for caffeinated alcoholic drinks is about 1% of the total beer industry, making its annual sales about $1 billion, said Eric Shepard, executive editor of trade publication Beer Marketer’s Insights.

The companies could fight back against the FDA request by noting that their products already were approved by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, Shepard said.

However, FDA officials suggested on a call with reporters that the Treasury Department bureau would defer to the FDA on product safety questions. A spokesman for the bureau said the agency requested and fully supports the FDA’s action.

MillerCoors in December agreed to remove caffeine and three other ingredients from Sparks, the top-selling alcoholic energy drink at the time. The company agreed to pay $550,000 to cover the cost of the investigation by 13 state attorneys general.

In June 2008, St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch, now Anheuser-Busch InBev, agreed to reformulate its Tilt and Bud Extra drinks to remove the stimulants as part of a settlement with 11 attorneys general.

Consumer health advocates like the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which has filed lawsuits against makers of alcoholic energy drinks, cheered the FDA action.

“These beverages create alert drunks,” said George Hacker, the center’s director for alcohol policy. “People think they can drive, think they can handle things because they’re not feeling impaired, when in fact they are.”

The announcement Friday marks the second time in less than a month that the FDA has taken up an issue championed by Hacker’s group. Three weeks ago, the FDA warned that nutritional logos on groceries are misleading consumers about the actual health benefits of processed foods.

“It’s really refreshing to see government performing its duties once again,” Hacker said.

President Barack Obama tapped FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg and Sharfstein earlier this year to try and restore the agency’s credibility, after a string of bungled food and drug safety issues.

AP Food Industry Writer Emily Fredrix in Milwaukee contributed to this story.

Online Fitness Coaching is THE affordable, convenient alternative to better health….Similar Posts:

• Weight Management Top Tips (Series Day 3)
• With Fancy Coffees, Calories Can Add Up
• Informed Choice Certification Adds Comfort
• FREE Spark Giveaway
• NYC Asks Food Manufacturers to Cut Salt Content

Just how important is proper nutrition? Extremely! We believe it to be responsible for 80% of the way you look and feel. How often do you see people in your gym, that have been “working out” for months or years with little to no change in the way they appear? Quite often! Why? Simple, they are not putting the necessary emphasis on their nutrition.

In today’s society, with the advances in food preparation and packaging, we unfortunately, have lost quite a bit of the natural nutrients provided in the past due to the processing used now. This might make the foods taste different, possibly even a bit better, but these processing procedures rob us of vital benefits previously found in our food supply. Couple this with the stresses of everyday life and we are all but assured of missing vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that we require for proper health and bodily function.

This is where supplementation comes in. It should ABSOLUTELY be a part of everyone’s life, if only for the inclusion of things such as additional Vitamin C, B Vitamins or a Multi. Now, quality? That is where you must be very careful. Quality is very difficult to determine and buying the “on-sale” product week to week or the recommendation made by the sales staff at your local GNC will most likely put you even further behind in your quest for overall health.

Stick with products that are backed by science! Nutritional supplementation does not fall under the FDA’s guidelines, therefore you are blindly hoping that what the label reads, is what is actually included in the product. Not a chance I want to take personally. This reason alone, is one of the most important reasons for our recommendation of AdvoCare products! Tested and certified by Informed Choice, the leading third-party, testing agency in the world. Read more below and take advantage of the efforts AdvoCare has gone to in order to provide for your health and well-being.

CorePlex multivitamin supplement provides a synergistic combination of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and botanicals  to help supply the body with the nutritional components it needs to maintain optimal health.*

While there are many multivitamins on the market today, CorePlex provides a balance of nutrients that assure benefits and optimal absorption that far exceed most other multivitamin supplements on the market.*

Contact us with any questions you may have!

Remember, Online Fitness Coaching is THE affordable, convenient alternative to better health….Similar Posts:

• Informed Choice Certification Adds Comfort
• It’s Time to Take Control of Your Health
• MNS Max 3 – A Comprehensive Weight Loss System
• It’s Time for a SPARK
• Three New Amazing AdvoCare Products

(HealthDay News) — Obesity is a major risk factor for left atrial enlargement, which increases the risk of atrial fibrillation, stroke and death, a new study shows.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common type of arrhythmia (an irregular heart rhythm or heartbeat).

Researchers analyzed data on 1,212 men and women, aged 25 to 74, in Germany who were followed for 10 years. The study authors concluded that obesity and hypertension cause structural and functional changes in the heart and are independent predictors of left atrial enlargement (LAE).

The highest incidence of LAE after 10 years was seen in obese people — 31.6 percent compared to baseline prevalence of 10 percent among all study participants.

The findings, published in the Nov. 17 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, confirm the strong association between obesity and LAE reported in previous research. Some of those studies found that excess weight may affect left atrial size at an early age, potentially predisposing young obese people to future heart problems.

The authors of the new study said early assessment and intervention, especially among younger obese patients, is crucial to prevent the premature onset of cardiac remodeling — changes in heart size, shape and function — caused by LAE.

But they noted that it isn’t clear how much weight management or moderate weight loss can improve LAE. Further research is needed.

More information

The American Heart Association has more about atrial fibrillation.
– Robert Preidt

SOURCE: American College of Cardiology, news release, Nov. 9, 2009

Remember, Online Fitness Coaching is THE affordable, convenient alternative to better health….Similar Posts:

• Oversized College Football Players May Face Heart Risks
• Simple Test Might Detect ‘Silent’ Heart Disease
• Diet, Cognitive Ability May Play Role in Heart Disease
• Obesity Linked to Specific Cancers
• When Pounds Go, Sleep Apnea May Improve

The health department planned to release on Monday draft guidelines suggesting the maximum amount of salt that should be in a wide variety of manufactured and packaged foods.

New York City’s program is modeled in part after a similar initiative in the United Kingdom that has been underway since 2003.

The recommendations call for sizable reductions in the sodium content of many products, from a 20% drop in peanut butter to a 40% decline in the salt content of canned vegetables.

Unlike the city’s recent ban on trans fat in restaurant food or rules implemented last year requiring chain restaurants to post calorie information on their menus, this initiative is purely voluntary.

But even though there will be no penalties for companies that ignore the guidelines, health officials say they think some manufacturers may be motivated to make changes.

“They all fully recognize that sodium is a major health problem that they need to address,” said the city’s health commissioner, Dr. Thomas Farley.

Seventeen national health organizations and 25 other city or state health agencies have joined with New York City in the effort, called the National Salt Reduction Initiative. It aims to reduce the average American’s salt intake by 20% in five years.

Everyone needs some salt in his or her diet, but experts say Americans now eat about twice as much as they should. That can lead to problems including high blood pressure and an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

The guidelines suggest that manufacturers lower salt content gradually over several years so consumers won’t notice, and they aren’t asking for big changes in every category.

For example, under the city’s standards, by 2014 no restaurant hamburger should contain more than 1,200 milligrams of salt. Nearly every burger sold by McDonald‘s already meets that guideline, although there are exceptions like the double quarter pounder with cheese, which has 1,380 milligrams of salt.

The city isn’t suggesting that all products be less salty — there’s no call for a ban on New York’s beloved salt bagels.

Instead, Farley said, the city’s recommendations are intended to encourage companies to cut salt where it isn’t needed or just give consumers more low-salt options. He said he’s sure some processed-food manufacturers can cut salt content without making their products less tasty.

“We think people won’t notice,” he said.

Still, processed-food companies have historically been extremely reluctant to tinker with recipes, especially when dealing with a key ingredient like salt, where even minor adjustments can affect taste.

Some of the changes the city is asking for are substantial. The target goals call for a 40% reduction in the amount of salt in breakfast cereals, a 25% cut for breads and cold cuts and a 30% reduction for salad dressing.

But, Farley said, simply asking the public to be more careful about what they eat hasn’t worked, in part because consumers have too few low-sodium choices.

“Eighty percent of the salt we eat is in the food already when you buy it,” he said. “Even if you are reading the back of a package, there is often no choice there.”

By David B. Caruso, Associated Press Writer

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Remember, Online Fitness Coaching is THE affordable, convenient alternative to better health….

Similar Posts:

• With Fancy Coffees, Calories Can Add Up
• FDA Questions Safety of Alcoholic Energy Drinks
• Dieters Have a New Place to Eat: Fast-Food Joints
• Stop Cravings and Binge Eating: Advice from a Pizza Man
• Health Tip: Eat a Heart-Healthy Diet

(HealthDay News) — Methods to gauge blood cholesterol to determine vascular disease risk can be simplified, researchers in England say.

Their method measures levels of either total or high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or “good” cholesterol) in the blood or apolipoproteins (proteins that help transport cholesterol), without the need to have patients fast and without regard to another form of blood fat called triglycerides.

“Expert opinion is divided” on which combination of measurements is ideal in gauging cardiovascular risk, explained John Danesh, of the Emerging Risk Factors Collaboration Coordinating Centre at the University of Cambridge, and colleagues.

In order to examine the association between major blood fats and apolipoproteins and coronary heart disease and ischemic stroke, the researchers analyzed data on more than 300,000 people without initial vascular disease who took part in 68 long-term studies.

During the follow-up periods of the studies, there were almost 8,900 nonfatal heart attacks, more than 3,900 coronary heart disease deaths, over 2,500 ischemic strokes, 513 hemorrhagic strokes and more than 2,500 unclassified strokes, the study authors noted.

The analysis of the data yielded a number of findings.

First of all, risk tied to blood levels of non-HDL-C and HDL-C were nearly identical to those seen with the two apolipoproteins (B and AI), the team found. “This finding suggests that current discussions about whether to measure cholesterol levels or apolipoproteins in vascular risk assessment should hinge more on practical considerations (e.g., cost, availability, and standardization of assays),” Danesh and colleagues wrote.

Secondly, risk assessments “were at least as strong in participants who did not fast as in those who fasted [before testing],” the team added, and risk was similar with non-HDL cholesterol as with directly measured LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.

Finally, measuring for triglyceride blood fats “provides no additional information about vascular risk given knowledge of HDL-C and total cholesterol levels, although there may be separate reasons to measure triglyceride concentration (e.g., prevention of pancreatitis),” according to the report in the Nov. 11 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

“The current analysis of more than 300,000 people has demonstrated that [blood fat] assessment in vascular disease can be simplified by measurement of either cholesterol levels or apolipoproteins without the need to fast and without regard to triglyceride,” the researchers concluded.

More information

The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has more about heart and vascular diseases.
– Robert Preidt

SOURCE: Journal of the American Medical Association, news release, Nov. 10, 2009

Remember, Online Fitness Coaching is THE affordable, convenient alternative to better health….Similar Posts:

• Oversized College Football Players May Face Heart Risks
• Heart Disease Gender Gap Narrows
• Lower Your Cholesterol With These Fine Foods
• Diet, Cognitive Ability May Play Role in Heart Disease
• Cocoa in Chocolate May Be Good for the Heart

(HealthDay News) — Feeling stressed? A dose of dark chocolate could cheer you right up by lowering your stress hormone levels, a new study suggests.

Swiss researchers, who report their findings in the online issue of the Journal of Proteome Research, tracked volunteers who said they were highly stressed.

“The study provides strong evidence that a daily consumption of 40 grams [1.4 ounces] during a period of two weeks is sufficient to modify the metabolism of healthy human volunteers,” wrote the researchers, from the Nestle Research Center in Lausanne, Switzerland. The chocolate also appeared to help correct other imbalances in the body that are related to stress.

But won’t chocolate make people gain weight? That’s certainly possible, but the scientists pointed out that dark chocolate contains antioxidants, which are beneficial to health, and other substances that appear to reduce the risk of heart disease and other conditions.

But until now, the researchers wrote, not much has been known about how chocolate affects stress.

More information

Learn more about stress from MedlinePlus.
–Randy Dotinga

SOURCE: American Chemical Society, news release, Nov. 12, 2009

Remember, Online Fitness Coaching is THE affordable, convenient alternative to better health….Similar Posts:

• Biotech Soybeans Good Source of Omega-3
• Cocoa in Chocolate May Be Good for the Heart
• Low Vitamin D Levels Linked to Heart Disease
• Looking Younger Than Your Age May Mean Longer Life
• Simple Test Might Detect ‘Silent’ Heart Disease

(HealthDay News) — Seniors who eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and who have good cognitive function are much less likely to die from heart disease than those who have poorer cognitive function and eat fewer fruits and vegetables, a new study has found.

Cognitive function refers to the ability to think, remember, plan and organize information.

Researchers at the Drexel University School of Public Health in Philadelphia analyzed diet and cognitive data on 4,879 people (3,101 women and 1,778 men), age 70 and older, who took part in the U.S. Longitudinal Study of Aging. The participants were followed for an average of seven years.

The analysis revealed that:
• Those who ate three or more servings of vegetables daily had a 30 percent lower risk for dying from heart disease and a 15 percent lower risk for dying from any cause during the follow-up period than those who ate fewer than three servings of vegetables a day.
• There was a significant association between higher consumption of fruits and vegetables and decreased prevalence of cognitive impairment.
• People who scored high on cognitive functions tests were less likely to die from heart disease or any other cause during the follow-up than were those with low scores.

The study was to be presented Wednesday at the American Heart Association’s annual meeting in Orlando, Fla.

More information

The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute explains how to prevent and control heart disease risk factors.
– Robert Preidt

SOURCE: American Heart Association, news release, Nov. 18, 2009

Remember, Online Fitness Coaching is THE affordable, convenient alternative to better health….Similar Posts:

• Eating in America Still Unhealthy: CDC
• Obesity Seems to Alter Heart Structure
• Simple Test Might Detect ‘Silent’ Heart Disease
• Oversized College Football Players May Face Heart Risks
• Low Vitamin D Levels Linked to Heart Disease