4 Reasons You Need Cholesterol

• Cholesterol is a fundamental component of every cell membrane in the human body including brain cells.

• Cholesterol is the raw material from which your body is able to manufacture vitamin D in the sunshine.

• Cholesterol is a brain antioxidant – protecting brain cells against the ravages of free radicals.

• Cholesterol is the raw material from which we manufacture the sex hormones including estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and even cortisol as well.

Source: http://www.drperlmutter.com/cholesterol-fundamental-life

The Dirtist and Cleanest Produce on the Super Market

The most toxic produce - apple. 99 percent of apples that were checked had some sort of pesticide residue on them.

Other fruits and vegetables on the Dirty Dozen are strawberries, grapes, celery, peaches, spinach, sweet bell peppers, imported nectarines, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, potatoes and imported snap peas. Leafy greens – kale and collard greens – and hot peppers were frequently contaminated with insecticides that are particularly toxic to human health. EWG details this problem in a section called Dirty Dozen-Plus.

EWG's Clean Fifteen consists of conventional produce with the least amount of pesticide residues. Avocados were the cleanest, with only 1 percent of samples showing any detectable pesticides. Other items on the list include corn, pineapples, cabbage, frozen sweet peas, onions, asparagus, mangoes, papayas, kiwi, eggplant, grapefruit, cantaloupe, cauliflower and sweet potatoes.

Make sure you wash thoroughly (three times) and try to use organic produce whenever possible.

How much water do you need?

Do you believe that a person needs to drink eight glasses of water every day? If you do, you will spend a lot of time running to the bathroom.

Why do so many people believe this rule? The number originally came from the National Academy of Sciences of the United States Food and Nutrition Board, which publishes recommended daily allowances of nutrients. The 1945 edition of the Food and Nutrition Board recommended: "A suitable allowance of water for adults is 2.5 liters (about 8 cups) daily in most instances." This amount is based on the calculation of one milliliter of water for each calorie of food. HOWEVER, the Board also noted that most of the water you need is in the food you eat.

All foods contain water. Even the driest nut or seed has a lot of water in it. Furthermore, when food is digested, it is converted to energy, carbon dioxide and WATER. Most people can get the fluid the body needs from food, and they only need to drink enough water to prevent constipation.

When you eat, the pyloric valve at the end of your stomach closes to keep food in the stomach. Then the stomach takes fluid that you drink and food that you eat and turns the solid food into liquid. If you don't drink enough fluid, your stomach takes fluid from your blood and adds it to the food in the stomach to create the soup. The pyloric valve will not let food pass to the intestines until this liquid soup is formed. Then the liquid soup passes to the intestines and remains a soup until it reaches your colon. Only then is the fluid absorbed to turn the soup into solid waste in the colon. If you do not have enough fluid in your body, your body extracts extra fluid from your stool and turns your stool into hard rocks, causing constipation.

A study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition shows that plain water is not needed as long as enough fluid is obtained from other drinks and food. Twenty-seven healthy men consumed one of two diets for three-day periods and were studied in a lab setting. The first diet included plain water while the second omitted it, relying on only foods, orange juice, diet soda, and coffee for fluid. None of the nine measures of hydration were affected.

A reasonable amount for a healthy human is one cup of water or any other fluid with each meal. If you have a problem with constipation you may not be drinking enough water, but if you are not constipated, you are getting plenty. You'll also want to replace fluids whenever you sweat a lot, particularly when you exercise or in hot weather. Drink water whenever you feel thirsty, but there's no health benefit from forcing yourself to drink eight glasses of water a day. Drinking too much water can be dangerous; see Hyponatremia. This is of particular concern if you are exercising in hot weather and fail to replace the salt you lose in sweat.

Source: Gabe Mirkin, M.D., Journal of the American College of Nutrition, April, 2003.

FDA Warning on Basa Fish

The fish fillets sold in the Walmart, Chinese markets and Asian restaurants are not true lungli  龍利 or catfish. It is called swai. The cut pieces stay in shape during cooking, has nice texture with good taste, no fishy smell. The price is low. Unfortunately,  The fish is of inferior quality and is  harvested from very polluted Meikong River, Vietnam.  

Please read the link to FDA warning:

http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/2013/ucm344602.htm

Take Your Calcium and low dose D3 (400mg-1200mg)

According to the Oct 8, 2013 research by American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, low calcium intake, 621 mg per day has higher total mortality compared to those in the highest quartile, more than 1565 mg.

 

"[Based on these findings], clinicians should continue to evaluate calcium intake, encourage adequate dietary intake, and if necessary, use supplements to reach but not exceed recommended intakes," Douglas C. Bauer, MD, from the University of California, San Francisco, the lead author of the first study, told Medscape Medical News.

 

Another recent clinical trend is to recommend high doses (more than 1000 IU) of vitamin D, although studies comparing high- and low-dose (400 - 800 IU) vitamin D suggest low dose is more beneficial, they conclude. vitamin D: supplementation to prevent osteoporosis in healthy adults is not warranted. However, maintenance of vitamin D stores in the elderly combined with sufficient dietary calcium intake (800–1200 mg per day) remains an effective approach for prevention of hip fractures."

Milk from Cloned Cow on Market

In agreement with Mosanto which invented rBst that milk treated with rBST, recombinant bovine growth hormone which increased cow's milk production, was no difference from the milk not treated with the drug and approved the use of rBST on cow since 1993. FDA does allow label to disclaim the milk is not treated with rBST as long as it also states that no difference exist. Since 1993 I have to read the label and to make sure I did not buy milk or milk products treated with rBST. 

 

I had a sigh of relief when I read the following that "Labeling milk from cows not treated with rBST now legal in all 50 States as of September 29th, 2010 as the result of the ruling from 6th circuit which finds rBST milk “materially different” from milk not treated with rBST.

 

In International Dairy Foods Association v. Boggs, the 6th Circuit determined that Ohio’s 2008 law prohibiting the labeling of milk from non-rBST treated cows was unconstitutional under the 1st amendment. The court based this decision in part on its finding that the two milks were different, thus overruling the FDA’s prior determination. The court cites three reasons milk produced by rbST-treated cows is different: increased levels of the hormone IGF-1, a period of milk with lower nutritional quality during each lactation, and increased somatic cell counts in the milk. The court further noted that higher somatic cell counts indicate milk is poor quality and will turn sour more quickly.

 

Then another bomb shell.  I read from a Consumer Report this afternoon about the milk from Cloned Cow on Market and urged consumer to go for organic milk. The following is a short description of how cloned cow (pig, goat ) came about.

 

An experimental dairy farm in Wisconsin, operated by Infigen, a biotech company, is producing some of the world's first milk from a herd of 21 cloned cows, 17 of them from the same original animal, all genetically identical. After approval for consumer use,  the FDA does not require labels on food products from cloned animals.  The FDA based its ruling studies in the January 2008 assessment examining the safety of milk or meat came from a translated and severely abridged Japanese report, were performed on rats, or were undertaken by cloning companies. And the FDA had no data on the safety and effect of milk or meat from clones’ offspring. Also the agency only analyzed changes in nutrients (such as proteins and fatty acids) that were found in conventional milk – a mistake, according to the Center for Food Safety.

 

Kraft states that it isn't selling any products from cloned animals. Other companies that have stated they will not accept milk from cloned cattle include Oberweis Dairy in North Aurora and Dean Foods, the nation's largest dairy producer. 

Eggs for Good Health

Here is the latest version on egg health from Julian Whitaker, M.D. for your information.

Angela Ningzhi

"In honor of Easter, let’s talk about eggs. According to US Department of Agriculture research, thanks to better feed, large eggs today contain only 185 mg of cholesterol compared to 215 mg a decade ago. They also boast more vitamin D—41 IU today versus 25 IU in the past—plus a wide variety of nutrients such as B vitamins, eye-healthy lutein and zeaxanthin, and neuroprotective choline. Some “specialty eggs” even have omega-3 fatty acids.

With an average of 70 calories and 6 g of protein each, eggs are certainly a healthy food, but moderation is key. Harvard scientists found that up to six whole eggs per week had no negative effects on cardiovascular health markers, but seven or more began to slightly increase risk. And though one recent study found a positive correlation between whole egg consumption and blood sugar control, the majority of research suggests that a high egg intake actually increases risk of complications in diabetics. If you have blood sugar issues, egg whites are probably your best bet.

Try one of my favorite egg recipes: Confetti Egg White Scramble

Dress up scrambled eggs with colorful, nutritious vegetables

Serves 2

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup onion, chopped
½ cup zucchini, chopped
½ cup red bell pepper, chopped
8 egg whites or 1 cup Egg Beaters or other egg-white product
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Heat olive oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

Add onions, zucchini, and bell pepper to skillet and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes, until tender-crisp.

Meanwhile, lightly beat egg whites, water, Parmesan cheese, and pepper.

Pour eggs into skillet and continue to cook another 1-2 minutes, stirring often until eggs are set.

Per Serving: 128 calories; 3g fat; 16g protein; 8g carbohydrate; 2g dietary fiber; 2mg cholesterol; 269mg sodium

From Julian Whitaker, M.D.

Mediterranean diet plus nuts for your health

A traditional Mediterranean diet with an additional daily serving of mixed nuts appears to be useful for managing some metabolic abnormalities in older adults at high risk for heart disease, according to a report in the December 8/22 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

The metabolic syndrome is a set of metabolic abnormalities that includes abdominal obesity and high cholesterol, high blood pressure and high blood glucose levels, all of which are risk factors for cardiovascular disease, according to background information in the article. "Development of themetabolic syndrome depends on a complex interaction between still largely unknown genetic determinants and environmental factors, including dietary patterns," the authors write.

A traditional Mediterranean diet‹characterized by a high intake of cereals, vegetables, fruits and olive oil, a moderateintake of fish and alcohol and a low intake of dairy, meats and sweets has been associated with a lower risk for metabolic abnormalities. The Mediterranean diet is high in unsaturated fatty acids; inaddition, nuts also contain beneficial nutrients such as fiber, arginine, potassium, calcium and magnesium.

Jordi Salas-Salvadó, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Rovira i Virgili, Spain, and colleagues assessed 1,224 participants in the PREDIMED (Prevencion con Dieta Mediterranea) study who were age 55 to 80 and at high risk for cardiovascular disease. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: one group received advice on a low-fat diet while two received quarterly education about the Mediter-ranean diet. One of the Mediterranean diet groups was provided with 1 liter per week of virgin oliveoil and the other received 30 grams per day of mixed nuts. At the beginning of the study, 61.4 percent of the participants met criteria for the metabolic syndrome. After one year, 409 participants in theMediterranean diet plus olive oil group, 411 in the Mediterranean diet plus nuts group and 404 in the control group of low-fat diet advice were available for evaluation. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome decreased by 13.7 percent among those in the nut group, 6.7 percent in the olive oil group and 2 percent in the control group. Participants' weight did not change over the one-year period. However, thenumber of individuals with large waist circumference, high triglycerides or high blood pressure significantly decreased in the Mediterranean diet plus nuts group compared with the control group.

This suggests that components of the diet, principally the nuts, may have beneficial effects on pathophysio-logical characteristics of metabolic syndrome, such as oxygen-related cell damage, resistance to the effects of insulin or chronic inflammation.

Source:
12/8/2008, JAMA and Archives Journals, Jordi Salas-Salvadó, M.D., Ph.D.

Selenium and Vitamin E

I was a little apprehensive when I read the recent announcement by the National Cancer Institute to halt Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial because neither supplement - taken alone or in combination is not working. I have been taking both supplements for years and did a considerable research on the selenium. I finally got the answer I was looking for and would like to share.

It turns out that the selenium used in the recent study was selenomethionine - an amino acid containing selenium, not the organically bounded selenium yeast. In additon, the vitamin E used is not the natural alpha tocopherol (d-Alpha Tocopherol) but a cheap synthetic compound dl-tocopherol, a molecule shape that the body cannot utilize.

From a landmark trial, published in a 1996 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association, which showed that selenium caused a significant reduction in colon, lung and prostate cancers. The findings from this 1996 JAMA study helped selenium become the only nutrient to earn an FDA-approved qualified health claim for cancer prevention.

The benefits of taking selenium include enhancement of the immune system, increased insulin efficiency and reduction of the risk in some cancers, such as breast and prostate. Just make sure that you either consume Brazilian nuts which are the best source of selenium or you take no more than 200 mcg of selenium (derived from yeast) supplements.

If you are taking vitamin E, spend extra dollars and buy only d-alpha tocopherol.

Not all fruits are created equal

Dr. Rui Hai Liu of Cornell University has developed cellular antioxidant activity assay testing to measure how cells absorb antioxidants from foods. In a recent study, Liu tested 25 commonly eaten fruits. His findings?

Wild blueberry, raspberry and blueberry had lower cellular antioxidant qualities, indicating that relative to the other fruits, the phenolicantioxidants in these fruits are taken up less well by the cells or bound less tightly to the cell membrane. The antioxidant qualities of pomegranate, blackberry, cranberry, apple, peach, red grape and pear were higher, suggesting their phenolics were more closely associated with the cells than those from other fruits.

While blueberries contain many antioxidants, cells might not absorb them, so blackberries provide greater benefit. Blackberries were second only to pomegranate in the most important part of the testing, which measured how well human cells absorbed nutrients from fruits.

Blackberries also contain fiber, which make them ideal for many dieters. Fresh, frozen blackberries contain as many nutrients as fresh berries, if not more. Store frozen blackberries in your freezer, then blend them for smoothies, puree and mix them with mustard for a spicy addition to sandwiches, or reduce them in a saucepan to create tasty sauces for meat and fish.

Source:http://www.insightnews.com/health.asp?mode=display&articleID=5045

Reduce body acidity

If the body has too much acid, it will lowers your oxygen supply and slows down you ATP energy production. This can result with muscle fatigue, slow mental reaction, less stamina and premature aging.

To prevent your body turning acidic, cut off or cut down consumption of refined sugar, dairy, alcohol and coffee.

To increase alkalinity in the body, you can add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of purified water and drink up to two glasses a day.

The following comparisons to identify yourself if you have highly alkaline body or highly acidic body:

Alkaline:

• Have a lots of energy, especially after eating a high protein meal
• Have healthy, comfortable digestion
• Possess great physical endurance
• Have a strong immune system (rarely get colds or the flu)
• Have thick, strong bones and muscles

Acidic:

• Feel very tired after exercise of physical work
• Feel sluggish in the morning
• Experience frequent flus, colds or respiratory problems
• Have a weak disgestive tract
• Feel lethargic after drinking wine or eating a meal with meat
  
  Source:
  Susan Lark, M.D.