Health Front
News that's good for you
August 2009
Reprinted with permission from Taste For Life

Promising debut for the "eco-Akins" diet
Low-fat dairy redues high blood pressure risk
Moring fiber
A new way to stay young
A vision for sustainable agriculture
Did you know?
Retrain your brain

Promising debut for the "eco-Atkins" diet

One hugely popular, the high-protein Atkins plan help many dieters lose weight —but has been criticized for its unhealthy levels of saturated fat and cholesterol. With that in mind, researchers recently tested the effects of a modified Atkins-style diet. The key difference was that participants ate vegan protein sources.

The results? Eating proteins that are entirely plant-based instead of animal-based appeared to support weight loss and lower cholesterol. This small clinical trial assigned overweight adults one of two calorie-restricted eating plans: either a low-carb, high vegetable, vegan protein diet or a high-carb vegetarian diet with eggs and dairy. The high-protein vegan diet included soy, seitan, nuts, cereals, fruits, and vegetables. While subjects in both groups lost the same amount of weight (an average 8.8 pounds) in one month, those on the vegan diet enjoyed an 8 percent greater reduction in their LDL (lousy) cholesterol levels as well as improvements in total cholesterol and blood pressure—positive changes for heart disease risk factors.

The novel high-protein diet was dubbed “eco-Atkins” by researchers. Registered dietician and health educator Marianne Grant told HealthDay News that while the eco-Atkins plan is “not a bad diet . . . it requires more research,” adding, “It’s much better than other low-carb diets because it encourages portion control and eating nuts, fruits, and vegetables. I think that’s the most important thing with weight loss.”

selected sources

• “Adding a Big Dash of ‘Health’ to Low-Carbohydrate Diets" by Roni Caryn Rabin, New York Times, 6/9/09
• “The Effect of a Plant-Based Low-Carbohydrate (“Eco-Atkins”) Diet on Body Weight and Blood Lipid Concentrations in Hyperlipidemic Subjects” by D. J. Jenkins et al., Arch Intern Med, 6/8/09

Low-fat dairy reduces high blood pressure risk

Known as "the silent killer" because of its lack of symptoms, hypertension or high blood pressure is one of the most significant risk factors in cardiovascular disease (including stroke, heart attack, and heart failure) and kidney disease. But new research that measured blood pressure in more than 2,000 adults ages 55 and older across a period of six years found that those who ate more low-fat dairy foods and total dairy had lower risk of hypertension than those who consumed fewer milk products. Additionally, researchers found that eating an extra serving of dairy food daily lowered the risk by 7 percent.

selected sources

• "High Blood Pressure Reduced with Low-Fat Dairy,” www.medicalnewstoday.com, 5/5/09 
• "Inverse Association Between Dairy Intake and Hypertension: The Rotterdam Study” by M. F. Engberink et al., Am J Clin Nutr, 4/15/09

Morning fiber

Starting the day with a high-fiber breakfast is a great way to keep the digestive system in good working order. Found in whole grains, nuts, wheat bran, and vegetables, insoluble fiber doesn’t dissolve in water so it helps propel wastes and speed up elimination.

In a recent study, 32 healthy adults were randomized to consume either 60 grams of cereal containing 26 grams of insoluble fiber, or a low-fiber cereal for breakfast, followed by a lunch of their choice. Although lunchtime food intake was the same for both groups, cumulative energy intake (cereal plus lunch) was lower in the high-fiber cereal group, possibly because of the feeling of fullness produced by high-fiber foods. Blood sugar levels were also lower in the high-fiber group.

selected sources

• The Food Encyclopedia by Jacques L. Rolland and Carol Sherman ($49.95, Robert Rose, 2006) 
• “Reduced Energy Intake at Breakfast Is Not Compensated for at Lunch If a High-Insoluble-Fiber Cereal Replaces a Low-Fiber Cereal” by A. Hamedani et al., Am J Clin Nutr, 4/1/09

A new way to stay young?

According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 35 percent of American adults regularly use multivitamins. Here’s an unexpected reason to count yourself among that group: A recent study of more than 500 women shows that the cells of multivitamin users have a younger "biological age" than the cells of nonusers.

selected source

• “Multivitamin Use and Telomere Length in Women” by Q. Xu et al., Am J Clin Nutr, 6/09

A vision for sustainable agriculture

A new book published online by the Soil and Water Conservation Society outlines the vision discussed by the Agricultural Research Service and other participants of the 2008 Farming with Grass conference. The goals for farming in the twenty-first century include raising free-range poultry for eggs and grass-fed livestock for meat and dairy products and planting a variety of perennials in place of row-crop monoculture. Farmers who use biodiversity to their advantage may fare better in the changing climate and market conditions. Ultimately, sustainable agriculture not only supports farms and communities environmentally and economically but also offers consumers local, healthy foods and other products.

selected sources

• “Farming with Grass May Be Just Right for 21st Century” by Don Comis, USDA, 6/9/09
• “USDA Scientists: Grass-Fed Beef a Vision for Post-Oil Agriculture,” www.sustainablefoodnews.com, 6/9/09

Did you know?

Animal Welfare Approved, a nonprofit auditing and certifying program, regularly tracks the costs of meat, dairy, and eggs. A recent price comparison in New York City found that Animal Welfare Approved beef was less expensive than its conventional counterpart.

Retrain your brain

The word “diet” can conjure up all sorts of unpleasant words—like hunger, deprivation, and boredom. But new research shows that the brain can be retrained to support weight-loss goals.

5 Food Instincts
Five ancient and extremely powerful food instincts still influence our eating habits, according to Susan B. Roberts, PhD, author of The Instinct Diet and professor of nutrition and psychiatry at Tufts University.

Those instincts meant survival when early humans had to chase their food, dig it up, or pluck it from trees. Now that food-gathering requires just a stroll through the supermarket, we need to retrain our brains to keep off extra pounds.

According to Dr. Roberts, the five instincts are as follows:

• Hunger drives us to eat; feeling full feels good.
• Availability makes us want to eat. Think of the “see food” diet—I see food, I eat it. It worked for our forebears; they survived! Who knew then where the next meal was coming from?
• Calorie density also does us in. Given the choice of a handful of leaves or a chunk of bison, our ancestors chose the bison every time. Chasing meals takes energy that low-calorie foods don’t provide.
• Variety is another food instinct—hence the popularity of buffet restaurants. Our senses encourage us to enjoy all the tastes, aromas, and textures of foods. For our ancestors, an assortment of foods meant survival. They had to be willing to try anything in order to live. Imagine the first person who downed a raw oyster or tackled a spiny lobster!
• Familiarity makes us reach for “comfort foods”—the ones we associate with childhood, special meals, and favorite holidays, and we eat them to fulfill all kinds of psychological needs.

Take Charge
Dr. Roberts’ book reveals ways to manage these instincts. If familiarity is a trigger, for example, retrain your brain by creating rituals that revolve around healthy foods. Practice until the new, healthier habits begin to feel like old, comforting ones. Gradually decreasing the amount of fat or sugar you eat in your diet helps your brain adjust to newer habits. When you’re really hungry, try reaching for a healthy whole food rather than a highly processed or fatty snack. Your brain will start to associate the nutritious food with feeling satisfied, and you’ll be more likely to reach for it the next time hunger kicks in.

selected sources

• The Instinct Diet by Susan B. Roberts, PhD, and Betty Kelly Sargent ($24.95, Workman, 2008
• The Instinct Diet,” Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, 2/09