Sunday, July 30, 2006
Monica Lewis, USANA Medical Advisory Board Discusses Genetic Testing at Sanoviv
Dr. Monica Lewis attended school in England and did half her medical training in London before moving to New Zealand where she completed it. She has worked as a general practitioner both in the United Kingdom and New Zealand and has been a counselor for the family courts. She currently runs her own practice dealing with chronic and hormonal issues. Her holistic approach includes advice on stress reduction, which she believes is a key factor in the development of health problems; lifestyle; diet; exercise; spiritual awareness; and supplementation; along with the best of conventional medicine.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Supplemental vitamin D may reduce the risk of certain cancers
Researchers suggest that improving vitamin D status could reduce cancer incidence and mortality. Since it is difficult to get adequate vitamin D from foods alone, scientists suggest that a vitamin supplement may help raise vitamin D intakes to protective levels.
A recent published report concluded that vitamin D deficiency may account for several thousand premature cancer deaths annually. The research team reviewed 63 studies on the relationship between vitamin D and certain types of cancer worldwide between 1966 and 2004. The majority of studies found a protective relationship between sufficient vitamin D status and lower risk of cancer, especially in cancers of the colon, breast, prostate and ovary. Vitamin D is found in milk, as well as in some fortified orange juice, yogurt and cheeses, usually at around 100 international units (I.U.) a serving. Researchers suggested that people might want to consider a vitamin supplement to raise their overall intake to 1,000 I.U.s per day. Taking more vitamin D could be especially important for people living in northern areas, which receive less vitamin D from sunshine.
Source: The Role of Vitamin D in Cancer Prevention, Cedric F. Garland, Frank C. Garland, Edward D. Gorham, Martin Lipkin, Harold Newmark, Sharif B. Mohr and Michael F. Holick, American Journal of Public Health, Vol 96, No. 2 252-261 February (2006).
A recent published report concluded that vitamin D deficiency may account for several thousand premature cancer deaths annually. The research team reviewed 63 studies on the relationship between vitamin D and certain types of cancer worldwide between 1966 and 2004. The majority of studies found a protective relationship between sufficient vitamin D status and lower risk of cancer, especially in cancers of the colon, breast, prostate and ovary. Vitamin D is found in milk, as well as in some fortified orange juice, yogurt and cheeses, usually at around 100 international units (I.U.) a serving. Researchers suggested that people might want to consider a vitamin supplement to raise their overall intake to 1,000 I.U.s per day. Taking more vitamin D could be especially important for people living in northern areas, which receive less vitamin D from sunshine.
Source: The Role of Vitamin D in Cancer Prevention, Cedric F. Garland, Frank C. Garland, Edward D. Gorham, Martin Lipkin, Harold Newmark, Sharif B. Mohr and Michael F. Holick, American Journal of Public Health, Vol 96, No. 2 252-261 February (2006).
Thursday, July 20, 2006
High glycemic index diets increase the risk of chronic degenerative disease
Long-term consumption of high-glycemic foods may increase oxidative stress and the risk of chronic degenerative diseases. Leading U.S. researchers recently concluded that a low-GI diet, not a low carbohydrate diet, appears to be beneficial in reducing the production of free radicals and oxidative stress.
Glycemic index (GI) is a measure of the rate that the carbohydrates in a food or meal are digested and appear in the blood as glucose (sugar). Glycemic load is a way of measuring the total carbohydrates in a meal or diet with a mathematical adjustment for GI. These measurements can be used to simultaneously describe the quality (glycemic index) and quantity of carbohydrate in a meal or diet. Recent data suggest that the sudden rise in blood sugar associated with a high glycemic load may increase free radical production and the risk of oxidative damage. This increased production has been implicated in many disease processes including chronic heart disease, accelerated aging, and type 2 diabetes. Investigators from several leading U.S. institutions recently investigated whether a diet with a high GI or GL is associated with greater oxidative stress by taking specific measurements in nearly 300 healthy adults. Participants with a higher GI and GL diet were found to exhibit increases in oxidative stress when compared to those eating a diet lower in glycemic index and load. Researchers concluded that chronic consumption of high-GI foods may lead to chronically high oxidative stress, increasing the risk for several degenerative diseases. A low-GI diet, not a low carbohydrate diet, appears to be beneficial in reducing oxidative stress.
Source: Relations of glycemic index and glycemic load with plasma oxidative stress markers, Youqing Hu, Gladys Block, Edward P Norkus, Jason D Morrow, Marion Dietrich and Mark Hudes, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 84, No. 1, 70-76, July 2006.
Glycemic index (GI) is a measure of the rate that the carbohydrates in a food or meal are digested and appear in the blood as glucose (sugar). Glycemic load is a way of measuring the total carbohydrates in a meal or diet with a mathematical adjustment for GI. These measurements can be used to simultaneously describe the quality (glycemic index) and quantity of carbohydrate in a meal or diet. Recent data suggest that the sudden rise in blood sugar associated with a high glycemic load may increase free radical production and the risk of oxidative damage. This increased production has been implicated in many disease processes including chronic heart disease, accelerated aging, and type 2 diabetes. Investigators from several leading U.S. institutions recently investigated whether a diet with a high GI or GL is associated with greater oxidative stress by taking specific measurements in nearly 300 healthy adults. Participants with a higher GI and GL diet were found to exhibit increases in oxidative stress when compared to those eating a diet lower in glycemic index and load. Researchers concluded that chronic consumption of high-GI foods may lead to chronically high oxidative stress, increasing the risk for several degenerative diseases. A low-GI diet, not a low carbohydrate diet, appears to be beneficial in reducing oxidative stress.
Source: Relations of glycemic index and glycemic load with plasma oxidative stress markers, Youqing Hu, Gladys Block, Edward P Norkus, Jason D Morrow, Marion Dietrich and Mark Hudes, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 84, No. 1, 70-76, July 2006.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Soy isoflavone supplements decrease bone loss in postmenopausal women
Soy isoflavone supplements reduce bone loss in postmenopausal women and may provide a more natural and safe alternative to long-term hormone replacement therapy.
Bone loss, and resulting osteoporosis, is a major health problem among postmenopausal women. But long-term hormone replacement therapy can have risky side effects in many women. In a search for safer alternatives, new research confirms that soy isoflavones can play an important role in reducing bone loss and decreasing the risk of osteoporosis. Chinese investigators assigned postmenopausal women to receive soy isoflavones at doses of either 84 mg, 126 mg, or a placebo for 6 months. After six months, bone mineral density of the hip and spine were higher in the groups of women taking the soy isoflavones compared to those not taking the supplement. Women taking the higher dosage experienced the greatest increase in density. In addition to other factors related to bone health, soy isoflavones may be a safe and natural alternative for women to help maintain bone health after menopause.
Source: Soy isoflavones attenuate bone loss in early postmenopausal Chinese women, Yan-Bin Ye, Xing-Yi Tang, Marian A. Verbruggen and Yi-Xiang Su, European Journal of Nutrition, 2006 September, 45(6) 327-334
Bone loss, and resulting osteoporosis, is a major health problem among postmenopausal women. But long-term hormone replacement therapy can have risky side effects in many women. In a search for safer alternatives, new research confirms that soy isoflavones can play an important role in reducing bone loss and decreasing the risk of osteoporosis. Chinese investigators assigned postmenopausal women to receive soy isoflavones at doses of either 84 mg, 126 mg, or a placebo for 6 months. After six months, bone mineral density of the hip and spine were higher in the groups of women taking the soy isoflavones compared to those not taking the supplement. Women taking the higher dosage experienced the greatest increase in density. In addition to other factors related to bone health, soy isoflavones may be a safe and natural alternative for women to help maintain bone health after menopause.
Source: Soy isoflavones attenuate bone loss in early postmenopausal Chinese women, Yan-Bin Ye, Xing-Yi Tang, Marian A. Verbruggen and Yi-Xiang Su, European Journal of Nutrition, 2006 September, 45(6) 327-334
Monday, July 10, 2006
Total Sport Nutrition Conference Call
USANA has an exclusive partnership with the prestigious sports medical organization, SportMedBC, to create a first-of-its-kind complete nutritional program for high-performance athletes. The Total Sport Nutrition program provides sports nutrition research and helps high-performance athletes improve their diets with the guidance of accredited sport dietitian Jennifer Gibson.You can listen to the recorded call here. We look forward to sharing some valuable information with you and your athletes and/or sports organization.
People on the call were:
- Marie-France Morin, Director of Field Development
- Jennifer Gibson, Registered Dietitian
The call was held Monday, July 10, 2006 Listen here
People on the call were:
- Marie-France Morin, Director of Field Development
- Jennifer Gibson, Registered Dietitian
The call was held Monday, July 10, 2006 Listen here
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