From: Abstract (provisional) of “Arginine and antioxidant supplement on performance in elderly male cyclists: a randomized controlled trial”

A study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (23 March 2010) has shown that an arginine and antioxidant-containing supplement increased the anaerobic threshold at both week one and week three in elderly cyclists.

Background to the Study

Human exercise capacity declines with advancing age. These changes often result in loss of physical fitness and more rapid senescence. Nitric oxide (NO) has been implicated in improvement of exercise capacity through vascular smooth muscle relaxation in both coronary and skeletal muscle arteries, as well as via independent mechanisms. Antioxidants may prevent nitric oxide inactivation by oxygen free radicals. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of an L-arginine and antioxidant supplement on exercise performance in elderly male cyclists.

To carry out the study, sixteen male cyclists were randomized to receive either a proprietary supplement (Niteworks(R), Herbalife International Inc., Century City, CA) or a placebo powder. Exercise parameters were assessed by maximal incremental exercise testing performed on a stationary cycle ergometer using breath-by-breath analysis at baseline, week one and week three.

Result

L-arginine and antioxidant supplementation can improve exercise performance in the elderly.

You can read a provisional pdf version of the full study here.

Physicians and nutrition scientists from around the world gathered today in Orlando for the opening of the Global Nutrition Transition Conference in order to discuss emerging trends and grass roots solutions to the global obesity epidemic employing balanced nutrition and teaching healthy active lifestyles.

The conference is addressing what is termed the “Nutrition Transition” – the effect of the globalization of the Western diet which is changing dietary patterns and the incidence of overweight and obesity throughout the world. Conference presenters focused on the dramatic increases in the incidence of overweight and obesity in countries where, until recently, obesity was virtually unknown.

Today’s speakers included Dr. Adam Drewnowski, director of the Center for Public Health Nutrition at the University of Washington, Seattle; Dr. Anoop Misra, director of the Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases department of the Fortis Group of Hospitals in New Delhi, India; Dr. Nataniel Viuniski of Unimed Hospital, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil; Dr. Linong Ji of Peking University in China; and Dr. Marion Flechtner-Mors of the University of Ulm, Germany.

As developing countries become more prosperous, they begin to share some of the health problems of the industrialized world – including huge increases in the number of adults and children who are carrying excess weight. In countries such as India and China, the recent migration to cities from rural areas and the increase in personal incomes has been accompanied by an increased incidence of overweight and obesity.

“While America and Mexico currently have the highest rates of overweight and obesity worldwide, rates are skyrocketing in Asia, particularly in India and China,” said Ji.

Current trends in the global diet have led to rising consumption of high fat, high sugar foods, which can displace local eating habits. As the food supply shifts, calorie intake goes up, but nutrient quality suffers. And activity levels are dropping, too. “As a result, China has seen its obesity rates nearly double since 1989, and 20% of India’s citizens are overweight or obese,” notes Ji.

At the same time, the incidence of obesity-related diseases is also on the rise. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations predicts that between 1998 and 2025, the number of people with type 2 diabetes worldwide will double – to 300 million – and that the majority of the increase will be in the developing world. Moreover, 80 percent of all heart disease in the world in the next 10 years will be due to diabetes type 2 associated with overweight and obesity.

The benefits of a total nutrition solution – one which encompasses the inclusion of a range of plant foods, and an emphasis on low fat proteins and healthy fats – is a cornerstone in building new dietary patterns. But the challenge will be to improve the nutritional quality and diversity of the world’s diet, while meeting demands for taste, convenience and value.

“One consequence of globalization is that the world’s people are consuming more foods that are energy rich, but nutrient poor,” notes Drewnowski. “And while convenience foods save time and money, restoring the nutrient balance of the global diet should be top priority. As long as there is limited access to healthy, affordable foods, nutrient supplements will be needed to help fill nutrient gaps,” he adds.

The Global Nutrition Transition Conference aims to explore the impact of this dramatic shift in diet and exercise patterns on world health, and to present insights into combating what is now a universal concern.

The two-day Conference is being sponsored by Herbalife. Drs. Flechtner-Mors, Ji, Misra, and Viuniski are members of Herbalife’s global Nutrition Advisory Board.

(Source: BUSINESS WIRE, Mar 15, 2010)

Fruit, whole or as juice, is an indispensible part of a healthy breakfast. Now, it seems, we have to watch out how our juices are packaged if we want to avoid causing the opposite to what we intend.

Scientists University of Copenhagen found that bottles of fruit juice and squash/cordial contain levels of antimony that were 2.5 times higher than deemed safe in drinking water under EU guidelines. In some cases the levels of antimony were ten times higher.

What is antimony? Antimony is often used in the production of PET bottles, the clear plastic bottles in which we like to buy our fruit juices.

The study has now shown that sugary drinks (fruit juices…) can be dangerous if bought and stored in these clear plastic bottles. Other studies have shown that the danger is not only that of cancer but also of disruption to our endocrine system. This means that this causes disruption to the functioning of our body’s own hormones.

Not a pretty picture? See for yourself:

You can read the full article on “Carcinogen antimony found in fruit juices” here.

Definitions and explanations of PET and antimony are most easily accessed at the Wiki articles on PET – Polyethylene terephthalate.

Here is a useful definition of Endocrine disruption and which chemicals cause it.

Healthy breakfast, balanced meals, healthy snacks – are these just slogans that others wield to make us feel guilty? Or do they have solid, scientifically based foundations that can offer us guidance for day-to-day living?

A few weeks ago, …
…at dinner in one of our local eateries, my friend pointed to his plate: “It’s great, this is a balanced meal; carbs, protein, vegetables, fat. Everything the body needs. You should be proud of me the way I’m eating.”
On the face of it, he was right about the pizza in front of him. His pizza did offer all these goodies. Only they weren’t all that good when you looked at them in detail.

Carbs – naturally, the pizza base was carbohydrate but as it was made from refined, white flour, it offered little else but calories as far as nutrition went. No fibre, vitamins or other essential nutrients. Plenty, though, for his spare tyre.

Protein – sure, cheese and pepperoni are protein. But what they brought to the table was a lot of saturated fat, the “bad” high cholesterol stuff that clogs our arteries, which far outweighed the benefits gained from the other nutrients they still contained. Let’s not talk about preservatives, either.

Vegetables – certainly, there was tomato sauce and an infant’s handful of sliced mushrooms and red pepper. It hardly satisfied the need for fibre and other plant based nutrients of the body of a grown man on a daily basis.

Fat – of course, there was plenty. In addition to the fat served up by the pepperoni and cheese, the waiter had sprinkled heart healthy olive oil on his pizza. No wonder that my friend’s wonder wheel weighed in with about 1,500 calories. That is the total daily calorie consumption for someone who wants to lose weight. All that in one meal in front of him, not not counting the wine, crackers, coffee and dessert. Which may explain why he didn’t really like my reply to his ‘balanced meal’ analysis.

The Golden Arches
In the last couple of weeks, the famous golden arches have started advertising massively again that they are now open from 6am to help people get started while still half asleep. I guess you have to be if you go for a Big Mac for breakfast. But does it really give us everything we need to get our day off to a great start?

Whatever your answer to this question, let’s not knock individual brands or types of food. What we need is a guide that tells us what’s what; that tells us reliably what to look out for, what we need, and how to avoid the common pitfalls – in other words, someone who explains Nutrition For Dummies.

Nutrition For Dummies is best used as a reference book to start you off on your journey. For that, it’s unbeatable. Use it as a starting point, and when you feel like it, dig deeper. It’ll pay off. I’ll give you some examples as we go along.

Take water, for instance. Nutrition For Dummies gives us 7 pages for starters. OK, I’ll resist the usual puns here. But after you’ve perused what the author has to say about this vital topic, you can do a lot worse than carry on with “Your Body’s Many Cries For Water” (reviewed a week ago in this blog).

The authors, Carol Ann Rinzler et al., take us through macro-nutrients (carbs, protein, fat, fibre), micro-nutrients (vitamins, minerals) and phyto-nutrients (plant based nutrients we get from fruit, vegetables and herbs). Again, once you’ve satisfied your initial curiosity about, say, fruit and vegetables, you can go on to “What Color Is Your Diet?” which I’ll be reviewing here shortly.

Do you want to know if it’s safe to take supplements? There is a well reasoned chapter on food and dietary supplements, when to take them and when to avoid them. Of course, “if you’re willing to plan and prepare nutritious meals, you can almost always get your nutrients less expensively from a varied and balanced diet. This means plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables, whole-grain cereals, dairy products, meat, fish, and poultry.” Who’d want to argue with the authors about that?

Superfoods are all the rage. Instead of going for the exotic, weird and wacky, you can opt for the home grown variety by following the book (I have the UK edition of Nutrition For Dummies is). Not everything has to come from far away. Apples, yoghurt, salmon, wholegrain seeded bread, and baked beans make up half the list on these isles. I’d better not tell my daughter that baked beans are classed as superfood. She might stop asking for them.

Nutrition For Dummies also has a great index, which is really helpful when you want to get your bearings fast. My recommendation: use it frequently, satisfy your curiosity about one topic or question at a time, and then move on to more detailed explanations elsewhere. Your body will certainly thank you for it.

If people don’t know what’s going on their plates and into their mouths, how can they follow a balanced diet?

Many of us know little about what’s in our food so rely on producers to be transparent on front of pack and responsible in their use of health and nutrition claims, not exploiting our naivety.

Read the full article here.

Occasionally, I’ll invite guest contributions. Today’s post is by Benton Chandrel

It is essential to emphasize the value of breakfast in our everyday lives because breakfast is the most important meal of the day. That’s why those who take that seriously never skip on their breakfast.

Even people who would like to lose weight should eat breakfast because studies have shown that those who don’t eat breakfast in the morning tend to eat a lot more than what their body needs during lunch. But just like any other meal, you should make sure that what you eat in the morning is healthy because you wouldn’t want your most important meal to be composed of nothing but junk food.

Avoid grabbing breakfast from a fast food joint if you’re on the go because these types of foods contain enormous amount of fat. Healthy breakfast foods can be easily prepared and doesn’t have to be time consuming so even a person who’s always on the go in the morning can have a healthy breakfast in the morning. Here are some examples of healthy breakfast ideas:

• A bowl of oats or cereals with fruits or nuts together with skim or low fat milk

• Any whole grain pastries with your healthy spread of choice

• Healthy sandwich

• Fresh fruit smoothies

• Yogurt topped with fruits

• One whole piece of fresh fruit

• Granola bar with low-fat content

These are just some of the many ideas that you can have for breakfast. All of these could be eaten by anyone who’s always in a hurry by the moment they wake up and even for those who don’t want to leave the house in the morning with an empty stomach. These foods are also healthy breakfast foods that could give you energy for your daily morning needs and could keep you in shape at the same time. Remember that breakfast is a very important meal so you should never skip it.

Benton has been writing articles about diet, fitness and weight loss online for nearly 3 years. You can also check out his latest website on polo sweatshirts and polo sweatpants.

Article Source: Ideas For a Healthy Breakfast

What is the first thing you need in the morning?

Water!

Drinking plenty of water is vitally important. Here is why and where it is needed:

Where Water Is Used In The Body

We know the basics:

• Approximately 60 percent of our total body weight is water.
• During an average day in a temperate climate a person loses approximately 2.5 litres of water.
• Loss of water increases during exercise. In this case, relying on thirst alone may be insufficient to prevent dehydration.
• This is particularly true in hot environments – not just hot climates but also in the gym – or for older people over the age of 65.

How much water do you drink every day? A couple of glasses plus some sodas, coffee and fruit juice?

According to Dr. Batmanghelidj, the author of “Your Body’s Many Cries For Water”, this simply is not enough. In fact, it is not just woefully inadequate, it actually lays the foundations for a whole host of diseases. Diseases that are then treated with drugs instead of being prevented by avoiding dehydration.

“Everyone knows that water is ‘good’ for the body, but few seem to understand fully how essential it is to one’s well-being or what happens to the body if it does not receive it’s daily requirement of water.”

“Medical professionals of today do not understand the vital roles of water in the human body: medications are palliatives. They are not designed to cure the degenerative diseases of the human body.”

How can Dr. Batmanghelidj make such a claim?

Trained as a physician in the United Kingdom, he found himself imprisoned in his native Iran in 1979. Without access to medication, he was still able to treat over 3,000 fellow prisoners who suffered from dyspeptic pain with water only. Not only did this discovery save his own life, it also led him to develop his treatment and to the research that resulted in his book, “Your Body’s Many Cries For Water.”

He discusses a dozen or more conditions that we don’t commonly link to dehydration, and he shows convincingly what we can do to avoid them.

His basic prescription is straightforward:

• Your body needs an absolute minimum of six to eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day.
• Alcohol, coffee, tea, and caffeine-containing beverages don’t count as water.
• The best times to drink water (clinically observed in peptic ulcer disease) are: one glass half an hour before taking food ­ breakfast, lunch, and dinner ­ and a similar amount two and a half hours after each meal. This is the very minimum amount of water your body needs. For the sake of not short-changing your body, two more glasses of water should be taken around the heaviest meal or before going to bed.
• Thirst should be satisfied at all times.

Water is the cheapest form of medicine to a dehydrated body.

• A balanced protein intake, sufficient exercise and, most importantly, strict and absolutely regular daily water intake are the most vital and basic anti-ageing precautions.

This summary review gives you the barest outline of the treasures hidden in “Your Body’s Many Cries For Water.” Mosey over to Amazon and browse the book – fortunately, you can do it there for free. Here is the link again: “Your Body’s Many Cries For Water.” Your body, your family and your friends will thank you for it.

In the column immediately to the right of this blog post, you’ll see a box with books that I wholeheartedly recommend. They are some of my favourites. I’ll be reviewing them here not least because they cover topics that are central to our health: Water and Hydration, Heart Health For Everyone, Special Breakfast Recipes, All About Nutrition, Power Shakes and Why They Are Essential, How To Pick The Right Color Fruit and Vegetables.

You can sample these books for free on Amazon: look inside, check the table of contents, scan the index, read sample chapters, and get a good feel for them.

I look forward to sharing these books with you. If you want to see a list of my reviews, simply click on the category “Recommended Reading” in the second sidebar on the right. Enjoy.

You will have noticed that I like Herbalife, at the very latest when you had a look at my recipes on my website.

I also get lots of questions about the company, questions hat are frequently founded on misinformation, rumours and prejudice. Here is an objective answer to all those questions: Jim Cramer, CNBC’s “Mad Money” guy, talks to Herbalife CEO Michael O. Johnson.

Enjoy:

If you have any questions about Herbalife, just ask.

(This is an excerpt from a longer article published by Dr. Mercola)

In today’s modern world of medicine the FDA just will not let companies that sell products make medical claims about them unless they have been tested at great expense, and approved as a drug. But this was not always the case.

In a 1924 booklet published by the Arm & Hammer Soda Company, the company starts off saying, “The proven value of Arm & Hammer Bicarbonate of Soda as a therapeutic agent is further evinced by the following evidence of a prominent physician named Dr. Volney S. Cheney, in a letter to the Church & Dwight Company:

“In 1918 and 1919 while fighting the ‘Flu’ with the U. S. Public Health Service it was brought to my attention that rarely any one who had been thoroughly alkalinized with bicarbonate of soda contracted the disease, and those who did contract it, if alkalinized early, would invariably have mild attacks.”

Recommended dosages from the Arm and Hammer Company for colds and influenza back in 1925 were:

• During the first day take six doses of half teaspoonful of Bicarbonate of Soda in glass of cool water, at about two hour intervals

• During the second day take four doses of half teaspoonful of Bicarbonate of Soda in glass of cool water, at the same intervals

• During the third day take two doses of half teaspoonful of Bicarbonate of Soda in glass of cool water morning and evening, and thereafter half teaspoonful in glass of cool water each morning until cold is cured

Read the full article here.