Milk protein may protect premature babies from infection

Milk protein may protect premature babies from infection

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Harvard names 11 cholesterol cutting foods

Harvard names 11 cholesterol cutting foods

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7 Causes Of High Cholesterol – Do you have high cholesterol? – Health.com

7 Causes Of High Cholesterol – Do you have high cholesterol? – Health.com

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Fish oil plus red yeast rice compared to statins in cholesterol lowering

Natural supplements health news: A combination of fish oils, red yeast rice coupled with lifestyle changes reduced cholesterol levels by the same amount as a daily statin pill, according to a randomized-trial research findings from the University of Pennsylvania Health System.

David Becker, MD, and coworkers at UPenn recruited 74 people with hypercholesterolaemia and randomly assigned them to receive a daily statin dose of simvastatin (40 mg/d) or the fish oil (EPA 2106 mg/d, DHA 1680 mg/d, N3 Oceanic) and red yeast rice (N3 Oceanic). The red yeast rice contained a total monacolin content of 5.3 mg, with 2.53 mg in the form of monacolin K (lovastatin). After 12 weeks of intervention, the researchers found statistically significant LDL reductions in both groups, but no difference between the groups. LDL-cholesterol levels were reduced by 42.4 per cent following consumption of the fish oil and red yeast rice combination, compared to reductions of 39.6 per cent in the statin group.

In addition to the LDL reduction, the fish oil/ red yeast rice combination also produced significant reductions in triglyceride levels of 29 per cent, compared to a non-significant nine per cent reduction in the statin group. The researchers attributed the triglyceride-lowering effects to the fish oil based on other reports pointing to similar effect.

Highlights about Red Yeast Rice (RYR):

• RYR is the product of yeast grown on rice; a dietary staple in some Asian countries.
• RYR reportedly contains several compounds that inhibit cholesterol production.
• Speculating on a mode of action of their findings, Becker and co-workers indicated that RYR contains naturally occurring lovastatin and nine different substances called monacolins that could inhibit 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase.
• The dose of RYR in the study (2.4-3.6 g/d) was equivalent to a daily lovastatin dose of 10 to 15 mg, less than the established therapeutic dose (20-40 mg).

“Lifestyle changes combined with ingestion of red yeast rice and fish oil reduced LDL-C in proportions similar to standard therapy with simvastatin,” the researchers conclude.

The full text is published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
Reference: D.J. Becker, R.Y. Gordon, P.B. Morris, J. Yorko, Y.J. Gordon, M. Li, N. Iqbal, “Simvastatin vs Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes and Supplements: Randomized Primary Prevention Trial”; Mayo Clinic Proceedings 2008, Vol. 83 (7) Pages 758-764.
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Milk and dairy products may protect against metabolic syndrome

Lifelong Supplements™ health news! Recent research findings from Wales indicate that increased intake of milk and other dairy products may reduce metabolic syndrome and should be recommended as part of a healthy eating pattern. Peter Elwood and colleagues from Cardiff University studied the diet and incidence of metabolic syndrome among 2375 men, and found that men who drank milk and ate dairy products regularly were 62 per cent less likely to have the syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a condition characterized by central obesity, hypertension, and disturbed glucose and insulin metabolism. The syndrome has been linked to increased risks of both type-2 diabetes and CVD. Fifteen per cent of adult Europeans are estimated to be affected by MetS, while about 32 per cent in USA are affected.

The Caerphilly Prospective Study assessed dietary intakes of the men (age range 45-59) using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire at baseline, while a sub-sample of 603 men kept a seven-day weighed dietary intake record. The subjects had two or more markers for MetS, from high blood glucose, insulin, blood fats, body fat, and blood pressure.

After 20 years of follow-up the researchers calculated that the 15 per cent of men with MetS at the start of the study were at almost double the risk of coronary artery heart disease and four times the risk of diabetes of those without the syndrome. But those who regularly drank milk and ate dairy products, such as yogurt and cheese, were significantly less likely to have the syndrome. Indeed, Elwood and co-workers report that a daily pint of milk was associated with a 62 per cent risk reduction, while regularly intake of other dairy produce reduced the risk by 56 per cent.

Dairy products are part of a healthy diet and their consumption should be promoted, they conclude

Source: Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, Vol. 61, Pages 695-698 “Milk and dairy consumption, diabetes and the metabolic syndrome: the Caerphilly prospective study” Auhors: P.C. Elwood, J.E. Pickering, A.M. Fehily
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How do walnuts and fish compare in protecting against heart disease?

Lifelong Supplements™ health news! High blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels are risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD). It is well known that increased consumption of omega-3 fatty acids decreases the incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD). However, the question consumers often ask is whether plant- and marine-derived omega-3 fats work similarly in prevention of CHD.
A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that including walnuts and fatty fish in a healthy diet lowered serum cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations, respectively, which affects CHD risk favorably. These findings show that walnut (a rich source of plant-derived omega-3) and fatty fish (a rich source of marine-derived omega-3), although both types are cadio-protective, target different risk factors when consumed in amounts recommended for primary prevention of CHD.
Here is a brief description of the study. In a randomized crossover feeding trial, 25 normal to mildly hyperlipidemic adults consumed 3 isoenergetic diets (about 30% total fat and <10% saturated fat) for 4 weeks each: a control diet (no nuts or fish), a walnut diet (1.5 oz walnuts/day), or a fish diet (4 oz salmon, twice/week). Fasting blood was drawn at baseline and at the end of each diet period and analyzed for serum lipids. The results showed that the participants who followed the walnut diet had a 5.3% lower serum total cholesterol level and a 9.5% lower LDL (bad) cholesterol level when compared to the control diet. Those who followed the fish diet decreased their triglyceride levels by 10.7%, and increased their HDL (good) cholesterol by 3.4% compared to the control diet. The reference for the study is: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 89, pages 1657S-1663S, 2009.
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Calcium Plus Vitamin D Helps to Manage Diabetes

Lifelong Supplements™ health news! In the US, there are over 20 million people with diabetes, equal to seven per cent of the population. The total costs are thought to be as much as $132 billion, with $92 billion being direct costs from medication, according to 2002 American Diabetes Association figures. In Europe, an estimated 19 million people are affected by diabetes in the EU 25, equal to four per cent of the total population. This figure is projected to increase to 26 million by 2030.
Research team, Tianying Wu, Walter C. Willett, and Edward Giovannucci, at Harvard School of Public Health report that women with high intakes of calcium had 20 per cent lower levels of C-peptide, a marker of insulin levels, while men with high vitamin D levels had similarly lower levels of the marker. The research team concludes that “the results suggest that calcium intake or systemic vitamin D status, after adjustment for intake of dairy products, is associated with decreased insulin secretion.” Full report is in Journal of Nutrition 2009, volume 139, pages 557-554.
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Lifelong Supplement™ News: Increased Potassium Intake may Lower Blood Pressure

Lifelong Supplements™ health news! A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine 2009, volume 169, pages 32-40 shows that the ratio of sodium-to-potassium in subjects’ urine was a much stronger predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD) than sodium or potassium alone. The researchers determined average sodium and potassium intake during two phases of a study known as the Trials of Hypertension Prevention. The researchers collected 24-hr urine samples intermittently during an 18-month period in one trial and during a 36-month period in a second trial. The 2,974 participants, initially age 30–54 and with blood pressure readings just under levels considered high, were followed for 10–15 years to see if they would develop cardiovascular disease. The study concluded that higher sodium to potassium excretion ratio is associated with increased risk of subsequent CVD, with an effect stronger than that of sodium or potassium alone.

To lower blood pressure and cut the effects of salt, adults should consume 4.7 g of potassium per day. According to an Institute of Medicine report, most American adults aged 31–50 consume only about half as much as recommended.

In the United States where people consume diets high in processed foods and large amounts of sodium, 1 in 3 persons have hypertension. An increase in potassium with a decrease in sodium is probably the most important dietary choice (after weight loss) that should be implemented to reduce cardiovascular disease.
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NIH Study – Calorie Intake Determines Weight Loss

Lifelong Supplements™ health news! , A two-year National Institutes of Health-funded study that assigned 811 overweight people to one of four reduced-calorie diets found that all trimmed pounds just the same. It didn’t matter what foods participants ate (not protein, fat or carbohydrate ratios), but rather how many calories they consumed, according to the Wall Street Journal report. This finding “really goes against the idea that certain foods are the key to weight loss,” says Frank Sacks, the lead researcher and a professor of cardiovascular-disease prevention at Harvard School of Public Health. Click here The Wall Street to learn more.
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Lifelong Fiber Supplement Improves Digestive Health

Lifelong Supplements™: Are you getting enough fiber? Think about a host of chronic disorders connected to digestive health. Lifelong fiber supplements benefit metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes, obesity, constipation or inability to empty the large bowel (colon). Consider fiber supplements, exercise, and fluid intake to control bowel irregularity and associated disorders.
Give your health a boost with lifelong supplements™! Helpful health tips from: Lifelong Health Products, and Lifelong Health Products-health bulletin.