Diet News September 2010
Dash Diet lowers heart attack risk by 20%
The D.A.S.H. (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension)
eating plan has been shown to help reduce the risk of heart attacks,
by up to 20 per cent.
The healthy plan suggests eating: Fruit and vegetables, Fat-free/
low-fat dairy products, Whole-grain/ high-fibre foods, Fish, Poultry,
Beans, seeds and nuts
Foods to be avoided or limited: Red meat, High sodium
(salt) products, High-sugar products and drinks
|
Sodium
(salt) |
Fat |
| Sodium
free or salt free - less than 5 mg
per serving |
Fat-free
- less than 0.5 g per serving |
|
Very low sodium - 35 mg or less of sodium per
serving |
Low
saturated fat - 1 g or less per serving, and 15%
or less calories from saturated fat |
| Low
sodium - 140 mg or less of sodium per serving |
Low-fat
- 3 g or less per serving
Reduced fat - at least 25% less fat than
regular |
The DASH diet plan is rich in minerals, such as:
potassium, magnesium and calcium, also protein and fibre. It is
low in saturated fat, salt, sugar and cholesterol, which combined
with a healthy, active lifestyle can help prevent and control high
blood pressure (hypertension).
More info: www.strokeassociation.com
Weight-loss surgery numbers increase
 Latest
figures from the British Medical Journal (BMJ) reveal that weight-loss
operations, such as gastric banding and gastric bypasses rose from
238 a year to more than 2,543 in 2007.
The increase in morbidly obese patients, combined with the general
awareness that surgery can be a viable answer to their problem,
has created an increase in demand for weight-loss surgery.
Some health experts believe the increase in bariatic surgery (procedures
that restrict the amount of food that is digested and absorbed by
the intestine) to be cost-effective to the NHS, as morbid obesity
is associated with diseases such as, diabetes, heart attacks and
high blood pressure.
Other health experts see surgery as a last resort, and believe that
obese patients would be better instead being encouraged to adopt
a healthy lifestyle - by eating more fruit and vegetables, reducing
fatty foods, and becoming more active.
Weight-loss surgery is only recommended for people with a body mass
index of at least 40, or 35 if they have another condition, like
diabetes, that the surgery could help improve. Surgery is only usually
considered after a patient has attempted to lose weight by dieting
or exercising.
Drinking
water before meals can help you diet
A new US study has found that drinking water, just before a meal,
reduces the calorie intake by 75-90 calories. The researchers studied
a group of 48 adults, aged 55 to 75 years old. They all ate a low-calorie
diet, but half drank 2 glasses of water just before their meals. After
12 weeks those that drank the water before meals lost on average about
five more pounds than the other group.
Water contains no calories and fills up the stomach, making you
less hungry and therefore likely to eat less.
 Chocolate
can be good for the heart
After 9 years of study, involving over 31,000 women, Swedish researchers
have found that women eating a small amount of chocolate, once or
twice a week, had a 32 per cent lower risk of developing heart failure.
The chocolate was a high cocoa content dark chocolate, which is known
to be rich in flavonoids, which may help to lower blood pressure.
However, a daily portion of chocolate did not appear to have any protective
effects, which is thought due to the consumption of too many calories.
It's good news to learn that a little bit of what you fancy can do
you good!
A side order of statins with the cheeseburger
Latest medical research has shown that for those who regularly eat
junk food, taking a statin
(a prescribed medicine that can help to reduce the risk of a heart
attack or stroke, by lowering the bad cholesterol levels) may offset
the risk of cardiovascular disease that comes from eating such unhealthy
food. Some health experts, however, are concerned about the side-effects
of statins, and believe that there are far more health improvements
if junk food is avoided. Statins should not be treated as magic pills
which allows you to eat what you want. A regular diet of junk food,
such as cheese burgers, has many consequences, such as high salt and
high fat content causing high blood pressure and obesity.
Low-carb diet improves heart health more than
low-fat diet
Latest US research, after a 2 year study of over 300 people, has revealed
that a low-carbohydrate diet can improve your cardio vascular risk
factors. The research showed an increase of 23 per cent in 'good cholesterol'
(HDLs) in the dieters on a low-carb diet, when compared with those
following a low-fat diet (10-12 per cent).
Both groups lost around the same amount of weight. The study findings
also reinforced the importance of behavioural strategies- for those
wishing to lose weight effectively - such as keeping
a food diary, and so being able to recognise the triggers
that can cause overeating.
Bad diet causes high blood pressure in younger
people.
A recent health study of over 8,000 young people in the UK, aged
between16 and 34, has revealed that up to a third had high blood
pressure (hypertension). This condition increases your risk of a
heart attack or stroke. Only 25 per cent of those in the study had
a normal blood pressure reading. 35% of those tested were in the
high risk category and suffering from hypertension. Men were found
to be more at risk than women.
Health experts believe that the increased high blood pressure is
starting earlier due to teenagers' bad nutrition, obesity, excessive
drinking and general lack of exercise. They recommend that young
people should be encouraged to get their blood pressure checked
regularly, and urge people to recognise that this condition does
not only affect the middle-aged.
Calorie Counting at US restaurants
The introduction of a new US Health Care bill means that chain restaurants,
with 20 or more outlets, are now legally required to list calories
on menus. It is believed this will spread to the UK shortly, and will
enable us all to know exactly what we are eating in terms of calories.
Vitamin E helps prevent Alzheimer's
A new medical study, involving over 5,000 people, has found that eating
a diet rich in vitamin E provides extra protection against Alzheimer's
- a degenerative brain disease. Participants of the study who ate
a vitamin E rich diet were found to be 26 per cent less likely to
develop Alzheimer’s, than those who ate a low vitamin E diet.
Foods rich in the protective vitamin include: nuts - especially almonds,
vegetable oils, seeds - especially sunflower, wheat germ, leafy green
vegetables like spinach, broccoli Clinical trials involving vitamin
E supplements have not shown any increased protection against Alzheimer's,
unlike a vitamin rich diet.
Cataracts in women reduced by healthy
diet
 A
new US ophthalmic study, involving over 1800 women, has revealed
that those who eat a vitamin and mineral packed diet can reduce
their chances of developing cataracts. Cataracts are one of the
main causes of blindness as we age. A healthy diet, combined with
no smoking and avoiding obesity, can contribute to maintaining healthy
eyes.
Eat your greens
To protect your eyes and help prevent vision loss from common age-related
conditions, such as, macular degeneration, eat plenty of dark, green
leafy green foods - spinach, chard, kale, romaine lettuce and leeks
and peas.
These foods are rich in Lutein, a natural antioxidant which can
help protect the eye as a natural sun block to the retina, and by
neutralizing damaging free radicals.
Other healthy foods for the eye are Omega-3 fatty acids - salmon,
herring, mackeral; vitamin C - oranges, grapefruits; vitamin E -
almonds, walnuts.
Women need a healthier diet
 Health
experts have been recently researching UK women's diet and have
discovered that many women are not receiving enough nutrition
from their food.
The extensive study covered women of all ages, from babies to
pensioners.
There seems to be a lack of a balanced eating plan for many of
the women that they studied. From pregnant women not receiving enough
vitamin D to strengthen their baby's bones and avoid underweight
birth weight; school girls not getting the recommended daily level
of magnesium, zinc and potassium; women between 19 and 50 not taking
in enough iron and B2 vitamin to pensioners needing more vitamin
D to keep their bones healthy.
Busy and pressured working lives and lack of confidence in the kitchen
means many women consume fast food, rather than cook with nutritious
fresh ingredients.
Women often cut out whole groups of food when trying to diet,
which can put their health at risk.
The Biggest Loser diet
Viewers of the popular NBC TV programme 'The Biggest Loser', where
contestants race to lose the most weight with the help of personal
coaches and nutrition experts, can now follow the 'Biggest Loser'
weight-loss programme at home with the diet book and online programme.
More info: The Biggest Loser
Diet
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