A new study from Purdue University reports that cayenne pepper helps curb the appetite and promotes the burning of calories as well.

If you have a special fondness for hot and spicy foods and you are looking for foods to curb your appetite in your goal to lose the extra weight, then consuming cayenne pepper would be the best choice. Cayenne pepper is a member of the Capsicum family of vegetables commonly known as chili peppers. The cayenne pepper powder come from red hot chili peppers that are dried and grounded, pulped then baked to cakes and sifted.

Since time immemorial, cayenne pepper has been known to be of many uses to the body’s health, but before that, it is first known for its culinary uses. It is commonly used as a cooking spice, to add flavor to the foods served at the table. It can be added to sea foods such as sardines, scallops, oysters, smoked salmon, fried mussels, lobster, crab and crayfish. It can also be eaten or added to eggs in many ways, and is also good for roasted and grilled meat.  If you want some spiciness in your dishes, you can add it to sauces and stews and as well as sprinkle it on fish, chicken and vegetables to add some spice.

Health Benefits of the Amazing Cayenne Pepper

Many studies from around the world have reported on the wonders that cayenne pepper has given to the human body because of the nutrients that it contain such as Vitamin A, Vitamin C, manganese, Vitamin B6, dietary fiber and Vitamin K.

• It contains high concentrations of capsaicin which has been studied for its ability to reduce pain, ulcer and promote cardiovascular benefits as well as in opening drained nasal passages. The spicier the chili pepper, the more capsaicin it contains.
• Capsaicin is also shown to provide pain relief in many conditions as it is said to be a useful treatment for osteoarthritis pain and head aches.
• Furthermore, 200 patients with psoriasis underwent a double-blind placebo controlled trial where they were given topical preparations with capsaicin or placebo. Capsaicin-fed patients showed improvement on traced symptoms of psoriasis.
• In addition, it is also a great source of Vitamin A which is beneficial for the health of epithelial tissues. Vitamin A’s antioxidant activity makes cayenne prevent free radical damage which can lead to colon cancer, atherosclerosis and other heart diseases.
• It is also being studied to fight inflammation and treat conditions with pain such as arthritis, and diabetic neuropathy. A study where a mouse was injected with a substance that causes inflammatory arthritis and then fed with diet consisted of capsaicin showed delayed onset of arthritis and reduced inflammation in the paws.
• Cayenne pepper and other chili peppers are also known to show cardiovascular benefits. It reduces triglyceride levels and blood cholesterol while dissolving the substance fibrin that causes blood clot.
• The capsaicin in cayenne pepper can also clear congestion for its peppery heat rouses secretions that help in removing mucus in the nose and congested lungs.
• Its bright red color signifies high amounts of beta-carotene or Vitamin A, which provides anti-infective activities and boosts the body’s immunity from many kinds of conditions. Cayenne is also popularly known to prevent ulcers. Not just that, they also kill the bacteria ingested and stimulates the cells to secrete protective juices to prevent ulcer.
• The heat felt after consuming hot peppers takes energy and calories from the body, therefore showing the possibility to lose weight.

The Study

Purdue University’s new study suggests that hot cayenne pepper contributes to burning calories and curbing the appetite.

This study, published in Physiology and Behavior, observed the effects of small amounts (half a teaspoon) of cayenne pepper in foods. Results showed that tasting it could increase its effectiveness as an appetite suppressor and boost the outflow of energy.

The study consisted of 25 non-overweight people, where 13 of them liked spicy food and 12 did not.  The participants were observed for six weeks and the researchers examined the effect of the consumption of cayenne pepper in their appetite. Increased body temperature and burning of more calories were evident in all participants after their consumption of spice. Those who did not take spicy food frequently said that after spice consumption, they were less hungry and felt less cravings for fatty, sweet and salty foods.

Richard Mattes, a foods and nutrition distinguished professor as well as the lead author of the study, said that their results showed that red pepper consumption helps in appetite management and burning of more calories after every meal.

The Importance of Losing Weight

A lot of medical conditions have been associated with obesity.  Health problems such as diabetes, arthritis, as well as heart and vascular diseases could lead to a decline in a person’s quality of life.  Diabetes may cause complications such as retinopathy, nephropathy and poor wound healing which could lead to the loss of vision, loss of kidney function and the loss of limb, respectively. Arthritis may develop because the excess weight places added pressure to the joints and this may force a person to become immobile because of too much pain, leading to the loss of independence. Heart and vascular diseases may cause life-threatening conditions such as myocardial infarction, stroke, heart attack, kidney failure and heart failure, among many others.

The importance of healthy living, therefore, had been emphasized over and over again, and for good reason. It is not simply enough that we exercise – it should be done regularly and consistently and after careful planning in order to meet the body’s needs. It is not simply enough that we eat – we should make sure that the foods we consume are beneficial to the body.  It is not simply enough that we do not smoke – we must take necessary precautions when it comes to second hand smoke as well because it poses health dangers too.

The first step to achieving the good health that you desire is to make the decision to live a healthy life. Of course, this may require lifestyle modification and maybe a little tweak here and there but the end-result of your choices will not only be of benefit to you, but the persons around you most especially to the people that you love.

Sources
nutraingredients.com
theepicentre.com
cayennepepper.info
whfoods.com

The UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency found that a certain brand of traditional Chinese medicine contains an unspecified and unauthorized pharmaceutical ingredient.

Looking beyond the obvious, having excess weight contributes to a higher risk of developing certain diseases like diabetes and chronic illnesses. Different weight loss products and food supplements promise fast results without the need for exercise and restricted diet. This is alarming since some people are putting their trust on products that has not been duly recognized as 100 percent safe by medical experts.

Most weight loss supplements are commonly bought and used by people without the advice of physicians. It is alarming to find out that these health dangers are sold over-the-counter, with no prescriptions needed, and with no questions asked. The weight loss supplements market has become a multi-billion dollar industry and almost everyone seems to want to jump in and join the bandwagon.  Because of this, despite the strict regulations, some manage to sneak past laid out rules – and this explains the availability. This can be dangerous especially to people with pre-existing health conditions.

The UK Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Agency ordered for the recall of the product Herbal Xenical, or also known as Herbal Flos Lonicerae, after a doctor reported the hospitalization of a patient after taking the product.

MHRA Warns Public from Taking Non-prescribed Weight Loss Supplements

After taking the product Herbal Xenical, a patient from UK reported gastritis, palpitations, insomnia and abdominal pain, and was hospitalized for severe symptoms. The UK MHRA ordered the immediate recall of the product. Though they refused to name the contaminant responsible for producing the effects, previous reports had sibutramine to blame. The MHRA said that they will be subjecting the product for lab testing to determine the real cause of the patient’s complaints.

The MHRA has also issued a warning to people who are taking the product to stop using the product and to consult a doctor. The MHRA also took the opportunity to promote the THMPD or the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive which aims to more effectively regulate weight loss supplements.  Richard Woodfield from the MHRA said that since 2005, their department has discovered more than 280 weight loss food supplements that contain significant amounts of pharmaceutical substances that produces adverse effects to the body. He added that situations like what happened to the person taking Herbal Xenical is the reason why they are promoting the Traditional Herbal Registration to the EU in order to better regulate herbal weight loss food supplements. He also said that people have the right to know what they are taking in and that they are not treating a certain health condition only to result to a more severe side effect.

In a recent update, the MHRA confirmed that Herbal Xenical highly contains a banned pharmaceutical ingredient called sibutramine. The tests revealed that the product contains twice the amount of sibutramine that is allowed by the EU before the ingredient was totally banned due to alarming findings such as the increased risk of stroke, heart attack, seizures and hypertension. The UK agency strongly encouraged people who had bought the product prior to the recall to stop using it. They also appealed to people who had experienced side-effects to report to the MHRA through its Yellow Card Scheme.

Sibutramine has been found in botanical products sold as herbal weight loss food supplements long with other harmful substances like lignocaine, vardenafil, tadalafil, glibenclamide and sildenafil. These substances had also been promoted to fight erectile dysfunction.

Natural Ways to Lose Weight

Not all natural weight loss products are safe for the body. Numerous clinical studies had found that certain herbal weight loss supplements contain compounds that can be harmful to a person’s health and which can also increase the risk of certain health conditions like hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and even stroke. There is too little evidence showing that these products can be effective without resulting to severe side effects. Medical experts and health professionals encourage people who want to lose weight to just rely on the tried and tested natural means and methods.

The best approach to losing weight is by exercising more and by eating healthy foods. Limiting your calorie intake to a healthy level prevents the further storage of fat in your body and encourages stored fats to be used. Certain diet plans may work for others but this will not be the case for everyone. It’s easy to make your own diet plan as long as you know your body’s nutritional needs, the nutritional and calorie content of different foods, and the calorie restriction to help you lose weight without making you feel weak. Make sure to keep every meal low in calorie but rich in nutrition. Eating fruits and vegetables that are rich in minerals, vitamins and fiber can be the best option.

But the burning of fats and shedding of excess weight can’t happen without the help of exercise. Finding time and the right motivation is key to helping yourself stick to the habit. Some people will often lose their enthusiasm to exercise in most days of the week. But with the right approach and reason to keep on moving, you’ll be reaching your weight goal even before you start noticing it.

Make a commitment to yourself. But before anything else, understand that losing weight will take time and a lot of effort. Make permanent changes to your lifestyle and do it for the right reasons. Be focused and stay committed to your weight loss plan. For your plans to work, you will need to have the physical and mental energy to change your habits. You may also need to address certain stressors that are probable contributors to your gaining weight.

Setting a realistic goal can also help in making it happen. Aiming to lose a few pounds per week is better than hoping to lose so much in a month. Initially setting out short-term goals will help you understand your goals and your ability to lose weight. You can always make adjustments but try to set a threshold and set the bar higher each time.

Consistency is the key. Be consistent with your diet plan, exercise habits, and lifestyle change and understand that it is not a temporary commitment that you can abandon once you reached your desired weight.

Sources
nutraingredients.com
nutraingredients.com
nutraingredients-usa.com
altmedicine.about.com
mayoclinic.com
mayoclinic.com

A study from the Wake Forrest University found that weight loss and walking can help older obese adults improve their mobility.

Obesity is a common health problem in various societies and demographics. Though the prevalence of the health condition is higher in certain social backgrounds, the number of obese individuals is continuing on an upward trend. Typically, obesity is seen as an accumulation of excess and abnormal amounts of fat in his body. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a person whose BMI is equal to or more than 30 is considered to be obese. And more than the restricted movements and limited mobility, obesity is also seen as a major risk factor for developing diseases which includes diabetes, atherosclerosis, hypertension, and other chronic illnesses.

In the WHO’s latest global data regarding obesity, approximately 1.6 billion adults are overweight and no more than 400 million are obese. They had also projected that by 2015 the number of obese individuals will grow to around 700 million. These numbers is also projected to directly affect the prevalence of certain health conditions linked to obesity. Years back, surveys proved than obesity is a problem limited to high-income countries. But this changed over the years as the number of obese cases grew in low and middle income countries.

There are various factors that significantly affect a person’s risk of becoming obese. The primary reason is the consumption of disproportionate amount of calories against the person’s calorie expenditure. The bad habits of excessive intake of foods rich in fats and sugars but deficient in minerals, vitamins and micronutrients and the lack of physical activities are causing the problem. And these observations can be seen on a global perspective.

People who are clinically overweight are being found to be at risk of developing certain serious diseases like cardiovascular disease, some types of cancer, musculoskeletal disorders and diabetes. The health problem of obesity is more serious during old age. Obese individuals ages 50 and above are finding it more difficult to manage the condition and are at higher risk of permanent disability and serious health complications resulting to increased mortality rate. But one study found natural ways to help older obese adults better cope with their condition.

Walking and Losing Weight Improves Mobility for Older Obese individuals

A study conducted by a team of researchers from the Wake Forrest University observed that weight loss and walking can improve the mobility of older individuals with obesity and cardiovascular conditions by 20 percent. The study lasted for five years and involved 288 study participants. It is published online on the Archives of Internal Medicine.

The popular belief says that losing weight can be harmful to people at old age. But contrary to this, the researchers found that participating in physical activities and losing weight can be the best means of improving their mobility. According to lead researcher and Professor of Health and Exercise Science, Jack Rajeski, their research is one of the first large scale studies which shows that weight loss can improve the health of older obese individuals with cardiovascular health conditions. This gives health care practitioners more ways to address the needs of senior patients with limited to poor mobility.

Rajeski said that the statistics showing the increasing population of older adults call for a need to find cost-effective community-based lifestyle intervention programs to improve their mobility. In addition to this, they found that 60 percent of the people in this age group are only walking an average of one mile per week. The co-investigators include Michael Perri from the University of Florida, Jacquelyn McClelland and Lucille Bearon from the North Carolina State University, and professor of health and exercise science Peter Brubaker, Walter Ambrosius and Dr David Goff of Wake University. Rajeski added that a community-based preventive lifestyle intervention is very important.

The team of researchers partnered with three health care professionals and with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension to effectively conduct the study and gather reliable results. The study participants aged 60 to 79 were tracked over a period of 18 months and were divided into three groups. The control group was educated on successful aging, the other was asked to participate in physical activities and weight loss programs while the third group was limited to physical training.

The results from the group subjected to physical training showed significant effects but researchers found that the combination of weight loss and physical activity produced more notable results. The study participants exhibited improved mobility by 5 percent, while those who had limited mobility improved by around 20 percent. To observe their improvements, the participants were asked to take a 400-meter walk; this is a widely used method of measuring the mobility of senior individuals. The researchers said that prevention is very important for older people who are starting to lose their mobility since the symptoms can be progressive and often result to permanent disability.

Rajeski concluded that a person’s ability to walk without any assistance is vital in improving a person’s capacity to function better in the community. He added that the next step will be to establish a model that can be replicated at different areas in the United States and that they will be working with other institutions in the state to achieve this goal.

Natural Ways to prevent Obesity

Obesity is highly preventable. Though some researchers had found that some people are more genetically inclined to the development of the health condition, natural methods can be implemented in order to lower the risk.

The essential step is to maintain energy balance and participate in more physical activities. A person’s energy intake needs to appropriately respond to the person’s physical activities without taking his nutritional needs for granted. Foods rich in harmful fats needs to be avoided, while the consumption of fruits and vegetables as well as whole grains, legumes and nuts needs to be increased as these are energy-giving foods. The recommended physical activity is a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise in most days of the week. The initiative of maintaining a healthy weight needs to come from the individual and this needs to be for the purpose of promoting better health and preventing the onset of health conditions including obesity.

Sources
eurekalert.org
who.int
who.int

Suffering from obesity and eating disorders has been linked to depression cases, a serious disorder that can worsen one’s health and prove to be fatal.

The latest report from Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index shows an alarming figure—that almost one-fourth of obese American citizens have all been diagnosed with depression. What is surprising is not that these people at some point in their lives were depressed, because every person may be at risk of developing the disease; but that the reported percentage exceeds the percentage of people with normal weight, who have simultaneously been clinically-diagnosed with the said psychiatric disorder.

Furthermore, the new survey shows that one out of four adult Americans that are obese have higher chances of reporting that they experience various negative emotions — such as anxiety, stress, sadness, anger — compared to those whose weight is considered normal. Gallup also noted that having a little extra weight does not yield the same effects of obesity, considering that results showed how the overweight respondents experienced negative emotions in almost the same league as those with normal weight.

The participants who were part of the conducted surveys were classified based on their body mass index scores — as calculated through the participants’ own reports regarding their weight and heights.

• Obese people were those whose BMI scores start from 30 and more.
• Overweight people were those whose BMI scores ranged from 25.0-29.9.
• Respondents with normal weight were those who yielded BMI values from 18.5 to 24.9.
• Underweight participants were those who yielded BMI scores below 18.5.

Based on these classifications, Gallup claimed that 36.3 % of Americans are currently overweight whereas 26.7 % are reportedly suffering from obesity. Simultaneously, 35 % of adult Americans currently enjoy a healthy or normal weight.

Revealing Survey Results: The Notable Obesity Factor

The yielded findings were based on over 250,000 interviews that were conducted within 8 months—from January to September of 2010. The following provides a breakdown of the significant survey results:

• 23.2 % of adults, all of whom are plagued with obesity, report that they suffer from depression based on clinical diagnosed; whereas only 14.9% of overweight people, 14.3% of normal-weight individuals, and 19.1% of people who are deemed to be underweight reported that they been diagnosed.
• 41.6 % of the obese individuals are prone to feeling all stressed up; whereas 39.4% of those with normal weight, and 42% of those who are underweight reportedly feel the same.
• 34.5 % of obese individuals reported that they worry; whereas 30.6% of those with normal weight, and 35.9% of those who are underweight said that they also worry.
• 15.7% of the obese people reportedly experience anger; whereas 12.6% of those with normal weight and 16% of underweight individuals also feel anger.
• 19.9 % out of the group of obese individuals experience sadness; where as 16.3% of those with normal weight, and 21.3% of underweight individuals reported that experienced sadness.

Such results also show the possibility for clinically-diagnosed depressed people to have higher chances of suffering from obesity, stress, and worry.

Link between Being Underweight and Being Depressed

Gallup claims that underweight people account for 1.7 % of adult American citizens. According to an email by Dan Witters, Gallup’s scientist on well-being, to WebMD — many underweight individuals suffer from eating disorders. This incidence significantly explains why the survey results showed that a large percent of those who are underweight have also been diagnosed as depressives. For one, both eating disorders called bulimia and anorexia have strong links to depression, regardless of the victim’s gender; and anorexia appears to have a strong relationship with women’s suicide-related deaths. He further said that in women-related cases, depression strikes prior to eating disorder.

Healthy and Natural Weight Loss and Weight Maintenance

Given the strong links between depression and obesity, along with being underweight; it is important for people who suffer from obesity and eating disorders to start anew and commit to a healthy weight loss and maintance plan, through maintaining and losing weight for better overall health—physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Setting manageable and healthy long-term goals

Setting one’s goals is the first important step before embarking on any attempt at weight loss or weight maintenance. During this preparatory stage, it is important to note that the best way to lose and maintain weight is to do so without losing one’s health.

Anyone who wants to take on the task of losing weight in a healthy manner must look far ahead, instead of merely counting a couple of days and a few weeks and wanting to see immediate, drastic results. Having a long-term horizon goal for weight loss and maintenance targets three essentials— safe weight loss and maintenance, successful weight loss and maintenance, and lasting or sustainable weight loss and maintenance. The ideal weight loss and maintenance plan should include proper and regulated exercise, eating a balanced and healthy diet on a regular basis, using natural supplements, changing one’s attitudes towards exercise and eating, and applying lifestyle modificaitons that can be continuously sustained.

Exercise

This suggestion does not pose itself as an option — it is essential and mandatory for optimal success. Ideally, the exercise program must include aerobic exercise for burning calories, through interval training; and weight-bearing exercise for burning calories during sleep, as achieved through muscle-building.

The exercise needs not to be immediately laborious. Starting with an enjoyable stroll and a light jog can be good boosters in order to enhance one’s metabolism and energy. Soon, the person becomes more capable of lengthening his allotted time for exercise routines, and adding more activities. A full exercise program that lasts around 30 minutes, done at least three times a week, is more than enough for healthy results.

Healthy diet to naturally cause weight loss and maintenance

While one is at the process of losing weight, it is essential to never forget that he must be wary of what he eats. It has been too repetitive to speak of how consuming a variety of fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, foods rich in calcium, and foods with high concentrations of healthy fats such as omega-3 fatty acids are important in one’s daily diet. However, these suggestions are cliches that never go wrong. Such foods offer multi-benefits that not only aid a healthy and natural weight loss and weight maintenance program, but also help in reducing one’s risk of developing unwanted diseases. Normal weight and good health can be achieved, simultaneously.

Supplements will not work as a magic pull by themselves, but their name already suggests their integral role— to further assist successful and sustainable weight loss and maintenance. Healthy supplements include green coffee bean extract and oolong tea, mulungu, bacopa, herbs and several others.

Furthermore, paying attention to what one eats enables the person to automatically refrain from foods that must be avoided—such as highly aunnatural fatty dishes, foods rich in sugar, and processed foods.

Paying attention to eating behavior and attitudes

Eating slowly poses several benefits, primarily through helping keep up with the time needed before the brain acknowledges that the person ise= already full, which usually takes up to 15 minutes. Furthermore, eating a lot as an option to attain comfort in the midst of negative emotions, such as tiredness or depression, must be avoided: Efforts to battle these negative emotions can be  diverted to other activities. It is also important not to skip breakfast, and to ensure that it accounts for the largest meal intake in the day. This attitude will stop the person from feeling unnecessarily hungry, and will also enhance his energy levels as he faces the day.

Sources
webmd.com
cdc.gov
nhlbi.nih.gov
jonbarron.org
flat-stomach-exercises.com

Why you may be better off postponing your meal until after you've exercised.

There are plenty of opinions out there regarding the benefits and detriments of eating immediately prior to working out.  Advocates say that food provides the fuel an athlete needs to perform at his or her best.  But detractors say that pre-workout meals prevent the body from burning off stored fat, thus reducing the benefits exercise has in helping people lose weight.

Both arguments have their validity, which is why you need to consider what your goals are before deciding on whether or not to chow down prior to working out.  If your goal is to maximize performance—to leg out that extra mile, or to bench that extra rep—then eating is the way to go.  Fat and carbohydrates provide the muscles with the fuel they need to perform rigorous tasks.

But if the purpose of your exercise program is to lose weight, you may be better off skipping out on that pre-workout shake.

Now, I know what you’re thinking:  Uh, duh Frank – if you want to lose weight, then of course you have to consume less than you’re burning!  But there’s a plethora of data out there suggesting that skipping meals is a bad way to try and lose weight.  Skipping meals slows down the body’s metabolic rate and it also encourages us to eat more later in the day because we’re feeling famished.  In fact, some studies suggest the best way to lose weight is to eat more.

But researchers from the University of Birmingham say that skipping the pre-workout meal “tricks” the body into tapping into fat stores for fuel.

They discovered this after following 14 people who either ate prior to working out or did not eat prior to working out.  For those that did eat, they waited one hour before mounting their bicycles.  Both groups used bicycling as their modes of exercise for the experiment.

At the end of one week, the researchers found that the pre-workout eaters outperformed those that didn’t eat prior to working out (i.e. they didn’t travel as many miles), but the fasting group wound up burning off more fat.

The study is published in the journal American College of Sports Medicine.

Now, does this mean that everyone should skip out on eating prior to working out?  Of course not.  Many people simply can’t exercise on an empty stomach without feeling dizzy.  If this is the case, then by all means, EAT!

Others are able to eat prior to working out and can lose weight just fine.  In fact they’ve tried fasting before exercising, but it left them feeling listless and lethargic, severely hampering their exercise efforts.

For everyone else, though, skipping your pre-workout meal may lead to big gains—or should I say “losses”—in your weight loss endeavors.

Source:
newsmaxhealth.com

German researchers find improved fat oxidation when men combine EGCG with caffeine.

From improving arthritis symptoms to preventing heart disease, heightening eye health to discouraging Alzheimer’s disease development, green tea is the libation of choice for health aficionados.  Yet as multifaceted a drink green tea is, could encouraging weight loss be added to its repertoire?  German researchers sure think so.

A team of researchers from Berlin’s University Medicine recruited 10 middle-aged men who, besides being obese, were generally healthy.  They broke the 10 men into groups of two and randomly assigned them to take an allotted amount of EGCG, some in high doses, others in low doses.  EGCG is the antioxidant compound in green tea believed to make it such a nutritional powerhouse.

One of the cooler aspects of this study is that all the men got a turn in taking a specific amount of EGCG.  In other words, instead of taking a specific amount of EGCG for the length of the study period, the men would take 300 mg of EGCG for three days, then go off for seven days, then pick up their EGCG regimen for another three days.  But instead of taking the same amount as last time, they’d take 600 milligrams.  Then go on to another group 10 days later.  So by the end of the study, all 10 men had gone through the five regimens.

(To be honest, I wish more studies were set up like this.  It makes the results of the study more reliable.)

By the end of the study, the researchers found increases in fat oxidation across the spectrum.  Compared to the time in which they took a placebo for three days, fat oxidation increased 33 percent (300 mg of EGCG daily), 20 percent (600 mg of EGCG daily), 34.5 percent (200 mg of caffeine), and 49 percent (200 mg of caffeine combined with 300 mg of EGCG).

What’s interesting is that there was greater fat oxidation when the men took the lower EGCG combination as compared to the high EGCG combination.  So apparently the Goldilocks rule applies to EGCG—not too much, not too little, but an amount that’s “just right” works for weight loss.

The question, of course, is how many drinks of green tea must one guzzle in order to see any significant weight loss?

Researchers say it may be as few as three drinks or as many as 10 drinks…per day!  Now, as much as I like to drink tea, I don’t have the time, nor the inclination to drink that amount of green tea every day!

But that as it may, the very fact that I could lose weight by drinking that amount of green tea every day illustrates just how amazing a drink green tea is.

The study is published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Sources:
nutraingredients.com

If you're obese, even a little weight loss pays big heart health dividends.

It’s one thing to hear about something, but it’s quite another to know it.

For instance, I’m sure all of you have heard that obesity is a significant risk factor for developing heart disease – the world’s leading killer.  But how many of you have actually seen this on display?  Where someone who had all the symptoms of heart disease freed themselves of those symptoms after losing just a moderate amount of weight?

Well, a study out of the Washington University School of Medicine demonstrates that very thing.

The researchers recruited approximately 60 individuals to participate in a weight loss experiment.  The program would take two years to complete, and they could choose from one of two diets to follow over that two-year period.  Their weapons of choice?  Either a low-carb diet or a low-fat diet.  Impressively, 78 percent of the participants stuck with their pre-selected diet throughout the two-year trial.

The researchers from St. Louis, MO instructed each participant to consume a low-calorie diet (between 1,200 and 1,500 calories per day, depending upon how obese they were) and to get at least three and a half hours per week of aerobic activity.  Their oldest participant was 64, youngest 22, and the participants’ BMI Index ranged between 30 and 44.  Anything over 30 is considered obese.

Fast-forward two years and both groups lost an average of 22 pounds.  Now, for people moderately overweight, this is a significant drop.  But for the obese and morbidly obese—which adequately describes most of the participants in the study—22 pounds is like scooping a bucket of water out of the ocean.

Nevertheless, researchers found significant improvements to their heart health. For instance, the physical structure of the heart takes on a different form in obese people.  The heart hardens and the arteries thicken because it has to work so much harder.  But according to the study’s lead researcher, Lisa de las Fuentes, this 22 pound weight drop “turned back the clock,” allowing them to “regain more youthful heart function” as the heart smoothened, and the arteries became more elastic.

The study is published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Granted, this isn’t exactly an earth shattering discovery, but sometimes we need to be reminded of things to re-commit ourselves to why we do the things we do.  After all, as a wise man likes to say, “Repetition is the mother of learning.”

And with the rate of childhood obesity three times higher today than what it was 20 years ago, this is a lesson that we need to have down-cold if we want to be examples to our children on how to live healthfully.  If we don’t, then they’re certain to have a similar fate.

Sources:
sciencedaily.com
americansportsdata.com

Yo-yo diets rarely succeed. Recently released findings from The Scripps Research Institute illustrate why that's the case.

I can’t stand it when people say, “I’m on a diet.”  I typically hear this refrain when friends of mine say they want to lose a few; for a short while, they abandon the glut to lose that gut and avoid the yummy to tighten their tummy.

It drives me crazy, though, because once they lose their weight, nine times out of 10, they go right back to their same old eating patterns, and nine times out of 10, they wind up putting on as much, if not more weight, than before.

Sound familiar?  It’s called yo-yo dieting, and it’s something that just about everyone experiences who goes on a “diet.”  But this is precisely why “dieting” is a wrong approach to take for weight loss; it’s destined for doom.  If you want to lose weight, you have to commit to a lifestyle change.  That’s the only real way to ensure success.  But don’t take my word for it.  A study from The Scripps Research Institute says the same thing.

To examine the effects of “yo-yo dieting,” researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine fed two groups of lab rats varying diets.  One group was fed a balanced diet, while the other group was fed a diet where sweet treats were a constant feature.  The rats were able to eat as much or as little of the food as they wanted, but with the yo-yo dieting rats, the researchers swapped their food options in five-day intervals (e.g., five days of a balanced diet, five days of a sweet diet, five days of a balanced diet…).

At the end of the study, the researchers observed some commonalities in the rats’ behavior and brain chemistry.  In their behavior, they found that both groups ate less when given a balanced diet compared to when they ate a sweetened diet.  This was particularly noticeable after the yo-yo dieting rats cycled off the sweetened diet.  But what was even more interesting was that once the yo-yo dieting rats went back on the sweet diet, they returned to their habit of eating more.  For the rats fed a balanced diet consistently, they ate pretty much the same amount throughout.

The changes in food consumption for the yo-yo dieting rats became more understandable when the researchers examined the rats’ brains, specifically the amygdala.  Among many other functions, the amygdala is the section of the brain that’s involved in the body’s reactions to stress.

In the amygdala, the researchers looked at how much of a neuropeptide called corticotrophin-releasing factor, or CRF, was released.  When the body is under stress—or even when the body thinks it’s under stress, but may in fact not be—there is a greater release of this neuropeptide.  So when the researchers found that the yo-yo dieting rats had a CRF neuropeptide level that was five times higher than the control rats on the same diet, they understood why:  They were experiencing withdrawal symptoms from being on the sweet stuff.  It was only when they cycled back on to the sweet diet that the CRF levels returned to normal.

Speaking about the study’s results, lead author Dr. Eric Zorrill, said, “Our findings suggest that intermittently eating sweet food changes the brain’s stress system so that you might feel stressed, even though nothing that terrible has happened.”

Zorrill’s co-author elaborated on the potential pitfalls of this kind of dieting, saying that yo-yo dieting “leads to a vicious cycle.  The more you cycle this way, the more likely it is you cycle again.”

The full details of the study are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

I hearken back to my original point.  If you’re really serious about losing weight, you don’t diet, you commit to a lifestyle change.  This study illustrates why that’s necessary.

Sources:
sciencedaily.com

White bread is a refined carbohydrate, which should be consumed in moderation.

Anyone who knows me knows I’m not one who shuns carbohydrates.  I enjoy my carbs, I’m just careful about what kinds of carbohydrates I consume.

Carbohydrates supply the body with the nutrients it needs to perform daily tasks that require effort (even the slightest effort).  They replenish the body’s glycogen stores and keep the body energized.

Some people in the health profession, though, advise avoiding carbohydrates entirely.  They say that all they do is add weight to the body, and that the easiest way to lose weight is to cut back on carbs.

There’s no question that cutting back on carbohydrates will help you lose weight.  But cutting back entirely on carbohydrates is not the answer.  In fact, I’ve found that it’s a recipe for gaining more weight down the road, as the body is starved of carbs for so long that it will eat them voraciously sooner or later.

The best way to lose weight – and keep it off – while remaining energized is to consume the right kinds of carbohydrates.  By not consuming carbohydrates, you’re making other nutrients do carbohydrates job.

For instance, protein is supposed to replenish and repair muscles that get broken down, not serve as the body’s source for energy.  But by not consuming carbs, you’re stretching the role of protein too thin, making it far less effective in replenishing broken down muscle.

At the same time, though, we shouldn’t be consuming carbohydrates that ramp up our blood sugar levels  too quickly.  Simple carbohydrates are an inefficient source of energy – where our energy levels peak, but go down quickly soon thereafter.

An overconsumption of simple carbohydrates also increase our risk for long term heart health problems, like heart disease, the leading cause of death in the country.

And we now know why simple carbohydrates tend to increase our risk for heart problems, as a recent study published in the Journal of American College of Cardiology explains.

The risk is not necessarily that carbohydrates make us fatter – though they can when eaten in exorbitant amounts – but rather in how they affect our arteries, making them far less elastic.

This is precisely what Dr. Michael Schecter from Tel Aviv University envisioned before conducting this study, and his envisions were realized when he observed the arterial function of 56 people after a high carb meal.

He had four groups of 14 people each consume high carbohydrate meals.  One ate pure sugar, another ate corn flakes with milk (one of the higher foods on the glycemic index) and another ate bran flakes (not as high on the glycemic index, but still high).  The last group was the placebo group, so they abstained from a meal.

Dr. Schecter and his colleagues found that each member of each group had endothelial function that diminished after their meal compared to prior to their sugary cereal servings – even those that ate bran flakes.  The one group whose endothelial function remained healthy?  You guessed it, the placebo group.

Endothelial function is just a fancy word for describing the lining of the arteries.  When foods high in sugar and high on the glycemic index are consumed, there’s undue stress put on those arteries, so much so that the arteries become dysfunctional for a short period of time, according to Dr. Schecter.

While Schecter is quick to point out that this dysfunction is sudden and only temporary, it doesn’t take a study of his to know that that endothelial dysfunction will become permanent the more often a person eats foods high on the glycemic index.

Maintaining a healthy heart is not accomplished by cutting out carbohydrates from your diet but rather to eat carbohydrates low on the glycemic index.  These should be complex carbohydrates, like oatmeal, 100 percent whole wheat bread (make sure it says “100 percent,” as many breads that claim to be “wheat” are made with refined flour), beans, nuts, and seeds.

You can’t go wrong with fruits and vegetables either, but just be aware that they tend to vary on the glycemic index considerably (e.g. cherries have a low GI of 22, while watermelon has a high GI 72; potatoes have a high GI of 82, while broccoli has a low GI of 15).

Sources:
sciencedaily.com
southbeach-diet-plan.com

Bariatric surgery may put patients at risk of bone fractures, researchers conclude.

When it comes to losing weight, there are no quick fixes.  It all boils down to diet and exercise:  increasing the activity levels, and decreasing the caloric levels.  Everything else either doesn’t work or is riddled with side effects.  Not even surgery is void of side effects.

Bariatric surgery procedures – where morbidly obese men and women go under the knife and have their stomachs minimized in one of several ways, like with a lapband – have boomed in popularity over the years.  Approximately 20,000 weight loss procedures were performed in 1995, 104,000 were performed in 2004, and over 200,000 have performed in the last year alone!

While bariatric surgeries have been successful for the majority of those who’ve undergone the belt-squeezing procedure, many haven’t been so lucky.  Some have undergone the procedure, only to re-gain the weight lost just months after the procedure (see Charlie Weis, head coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team).

And even though the majority of people have seen positive results, becoming veritable shells of their once hefty selves, their bone strength really takes a hit.

According to Joy Silverburg of Columbia University, there’s been precious little attention paid to the toll bariatric surgery puts on patients’ bone health.  As she said, the surgery is being billed as a “panacea,” a cure-all for losing weight, but people need to be aware of the fact that their bones can turn brittle if not properly provided with bone-saving supplements like calcium.

The Mayo Clinic is currently looking at approximately 300 people who’ve either lost weight the natural way or through bariatric surgery.  After reviewing about 150 cases, a quarter of those who underwent bariatric surgery had some sort of fracture within a few years!

This jibes with Silverburg’s assertion that bone density diminishes by about 10 percent in just 12 months after the procedure.

Because the research is still underway, researchers can’t be sure if it’s the surgery that’s causing the fractures, or if people are being too ambitious with their new found bodies and are putting their bones under stress too quickly for the body to compensate.

I’m inclined to believe it has something to do with the surgery, but I’ll let the study finish before making any definitive conclusions.

In the meantime, surgery should be an option of last resort.  If possible, try and lose weight through the traditional method:  moving a little more, eating a little less.

There’s no short-cut to a healthy weight, not even through surgery.

Sources:
msnbc.msn.com
bariatric-surgery.info