Monday, September 29, 2014
Your gastrointestinal bacterias may influence your blood sugar
A lot has been written about the bacterial flora of the gastrointestinal tract lately and how it can affect other areas of the body.
The reviewed research evaluated the effects of seven strains of friendly bacterias and how they may affect insulin sensitivity(Eslamparast T, et al. 2014).
Participants with the metabolic syndrome were given capsules containing 200 million of seven strains of friendly bacterias twice a day for 28 weeks.
Fasting blood sugar and insulin resistance improved significantly in the treatment group.
While we don't know all the friendly bacterias yet, we know that quite a few can be beneficial to take. When you are traveling, it can be a good idea to bring a pro-biotic which does not require refrigeration since this may also help to prevent gastrointestinal problems if you are exposed to bacterias you are not used to.
Eslamparast T, Zamani F, Hekmatdoost A, Sharafkhah M, Eghtesad S, Malekzadeh R, Poustchi H.
Effects of synbiotic supplementation on insulin resistance in subjects with the metabolic syndrome: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study.
Br J Nutr. 2014 Aug;112(3):438-45. doi: 10.1017/S0007114514000919. Epub 2014 May 22.
Published with permission by Didrik Sopler, Ph.D., L.Ac : www.TissueRecovery.com Dr. Marsh has worked with and referrers patients to Dr. Sopler for co-management for years . . . He is quite simply San Diego's top functional medicine consultant.
Do you have to be in good shape to tolerate high-intensity short interval training?
High/intensity short/interval training is a type of exercise that stresses the body hard for a very short period of time. In other words, it is hard exercise, but you don't have to spend much time doing it.
That you don't have to spend much time exercising appeals to most people, but you may wonder if you can tolerate it. Is it safe to exercise this way if you are not in great shape?
The reviewed research should answer that question, but make up your own mind after reading this.
It may surprise you that anybody would even try this with people in the shape that they were. The researchers took patients with signs of chronic heart failure and had one group do high/intensity short/interval training, and had another group do the regular continuous aerobic exercise training(Koufaki P et al. 2014).
The program lasted for 6 months and the participants were tested for cardio respiratory fitness at the start and at the end.
Peak oxygen uptake, sit to stand and gait speed improved equality in both groups, no difference in results.
The researchers concluded that the training adaptations were achieved in the high intensity short interval training group despite a significant reduced time commitment and reduced work volume when compared to continuous aerobic exercise training.
There is really no reason to waist time exercising for a long period of time unless you enjoy the exercise itself. The high intensity training was also tolerated well.
Maybe it should not be a surprise that people with heart failure can exercise like this.
Years ago people were advised not to do any exercise after they had a heart attack, believing exercise would increase their risk for another heart attack. That has been changed because we know better now, that exercise is one of the things that will help prevent heart problems.
Koufaki P1, Mercer TH, George KP, Nolan J. Low-volume high-intensity interval training vs continuous aerobic cycling in patients with chronic heart failure: a pragmatic randomised clinical trial of feasibility and effectiveness. J Rehabil Med. 2014 Apr;46(4):348-56. doi: 10.2340/16501977-1278.
Published with permission by Didrik Sopler, Ph.D., L.Ac : www.TissueRecovery.com Dr. Marsh has worked with and referrers patients to Dr. Sopler for co-management for years . . . He is quite simply San Diego's top functional medicine consultant.
More on salt, how much do you need?
This research is interesting because it measured sodium and potassium excretion and examined the association between major cardiovascular events and death(O'Donnell M et al. 2014).
Urine samples from 101,945 persons in 17 countries were included in the study with a follow up time of an average 3.7 years.
The average estimated sodium excretion was 4.93 g per day and the potassium was 2.12 g per day.
So how does this relate to sodium intake?
Based on the urinary excretion, an estimated sodium intake between 3 g per day and 6 g per day was associated with a lower risk of death and cardiovascular events than was either a higher or a lower intake.
Higher potassium excretion was also associated with lower risks.
These findings are higher than what's been recommended for sodium intake in the U.S.. The recommendations in the U.S. are now being questioned by many.
O'Donnell M1, Mente A, Rangarajan S, McQueen MJ, Wang X, Liu L, Yan H, Lee SF, Mony P, Devanath A, Rosengren A, Lopez-Jaramillo P, Diaz R, Avezum A, Lanas F, Yusoff K, Iqbal R, Ilow R, Mohammadifard N, Gulec S, Yusufali AH, Kruger L, Yusuf R, Chifamba J, Kabali C, Dagenais G, Lear SA, Teo K, Yusuf S; PURE Investigators. Urinary sodium and potassium excretion, mortality, and cardiovascular events. N Engl J Med. 2014 Aug 14;371(7):612-23. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1311889.
Published with permission by Didrik Sopler, Ph.D., L.Ac : www.TissueRecovery.com Dr. Marsh has worked with and referrers patients to Dr. Sopler for co-management for years . . . He is quite simply San Diego's top functional medicine consultant.
Is systemic inflammation making your pain worse?
Knee pain is very common as we get older, and so is systemic inflammation, but what is systemic inflammation?
Systemic inflammation is the type of inflammation that you may not even know you have an issue with, because you don't have to have a swollen joint. This type of inflammation is low grade, and it affects your whole body. It can, however, be measured by checking certain inflammatory markers.
The reviewed research investigated if there was an association between increased knee pain and systemic inflammation(Stannus OP et al. 2013). The participants were 149 men and women with an average age of 63 years. Knee pain was determined using an osteoarthritis pain questionnaire at the start of the study and then five years later. Radio graphs as well as MRI were used in the examination.
Several inflammatory markers were tested, highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6).
The conclusion was that systemic inflammation is an independent predictor of worsening knee pain over 5 years. Adjustments for radio graphic osteoarthritis or structural abnormalities detected on the MRI did not make much difference regarding that association.
Does this mean that you can't do anything about this?
No, you can do something about this, and I suggest you do, because systemic inflammation is also a risk factor for chronic disease.
Research has documented that the food you eat can be quite effective in reducing this type of inflammation.
This is one of the things you learn in "The Special Effects Diet". You can download it here.
Stannus OP1, Jones G, Blizzard L, Cicuttini FM, Ding C. Associations between serum levels of inflammatory markers and change in knee pain over 5 years in older adults: a prospective cohort study. Ann Rheum Dis. 2013 Apr;72(4):535-40. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2011-201047. Epub 2012
Published with permission by Didrik Sopler, Ph.D., L.Ac : www.TissueRecovery.com Dr. Marsh has worked with and referrers patients to Dr. Sopler for co-management for years . . . He is quite simply San Diego's top functional medicine consultant.
Can you change your estrogen metabolites by exercising?
What would be the benefits of changing your estrogen metabolites?
Certain estrogen metabolites are related to a higher risk for estrogen related diseases. Breast cancer is one of those diseases.
If you could change the ratio between the harmless metabolites and the ones related to an increased risk for estrogen related problems you would be better off.
The reviewed research investigated if exercise could do that since exercise has shown to reduce the risk for breast cancer.(Smith AJ,et.al.,2013).
The participants were healthy young women who were divided into either an exercise group doing 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise 5 days a week or a sedentary control group. The study went on for approximately 16 weeks.
Estrogens and estrogen metabolites were measured,and the rates of the different metabolites were calculated. The change from the baseline measurements increased significantly in the exercise group for 2-OHE1/16α-OHE1 which is the ratio of the estrogen metabolites associated with a decreased risk for estrogen related diseases. This change was not seen in the control group.
The researchers concluded that this may be the mechanism by which increased physical activity is decreasing the risk for breast cancer.
Smith AJ1, Phipps WR, Thomas W, Schmitz KH, Kurzer MS. The effects of aerobic exercise on estrogen metabolism in healthy premenopausal women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2013 May;22(5):756-64. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-12-1325.
Published with permission by Didrik Sopler, Ph.D., L.Ac : www.TissueRecovery.com Dr. Marsh has worked with and referrers patients to Dr. Sopler for co-management for years . . . He is quite simply San Diego's top functional medicine consultant.
Low cholesterol associated with increased mortality risk, too low can be dangerous
Have you been told or have you read that the more you lower your cholesterol the better off you are?
You may also have heard that having high cholesterol is healthy. So what is correct?
More and more research documents that it may be dangerous to lower your cholesterol too much, but the reviewed research is shedding some light on this (Bae J M et al. 2012).
Screenings from 12,740 adults between the ages of 40 and 69 years were included in the study, and they were followed from 1993 to 2008. The results were probably surprising to a lot of people.
Cholesterol below 160 mg/dl as well as above 240 mg/dl was associated with higher cardiovascular disease mortality. As with many physiological functions the risk ratio has a U-formed curve.
Both too little and too much is not good, it needs to be between certain levels.
Cholesterol has often been presented as a bad thing we would be better off without.
That could not be further from the truth. Cholesterol is necessary for many functions; the body makes it for a reason.
Eating more nuts, seeds and olive oil and less high glycemic index carbohydrates would help to keep your cholesterol in a healthy range.
Bae JM1, Yang YJ, Li ZM, Ahn YO. Low cholesterol is associated with mortality from cardiovascular diseases: a dynamic cohort study in Korean adults. J Korean Med Sci. 2012 Jan;27(1):58-63. doi: 10.3346/jkms.2012.27.1.58. Epub 2011 Dec 19.
Published with permission by Didrik Sopler, Ph.D., L.Ac : www.TissueRecovery.com Dr. Marsh has worked with and referrers patients to Dr. Sopler for co-management for years . . . He is quite simply San Diego's top functional medicine consultant.
How do you think stress affects your metabolism?
You don't want to have a slow metabolic rate because that would make it harder to maintain a lean body composition.
You can probably also agree that most of us are exposed to plenty of stress during a average day.
I think you will find the reviewed research interesting because it investigated how stress may affect our metabolic rate (Kiecolt-Glaser JK, et.al.,2014).
Fifty-eight healthy women, with the average age of 53.1 years, participated in the study and were given high fat test meals. The day prior to eating the test meals, stressors were also assessed using a standard test. Fat and carbohydrate oxidation, triglycerides, cortisol, insulin and glucose were measured before and after the 2 high fat meals.
It was found that greater numbers of stressors were associated with lower fat oxidation after the meals and also higher insulin levels.
The difference between stressors the day before and no stressors turned out to be 435 kj which is approximately 104 calories. The researchers estimated that it could add up to almost 11 pounds per year in weight gain.
This means that stress can contribute to weight gain.
You may not be able to control the factors contributing to stress, but you can, with some training, control how you react to stress.
In other words you can make yourself more stress resistant.
Meditation is a great tool for that.
Daily Stressors, Past Depression, and Metabolic Responses to High-Fat Meals: A Novel Path to Obesity. Biol Psychiatry. 2014 Jul 9. pii: S0006-3223(14)00385-0. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.05.018. [Epub ahead of print]
Published with permission by Didrik Sopler, Ph.D., L.Ac : www.TissueRecovery.com Dr. Marsh has worked with and referrers patients to Dr. Sopler for co-management for years . . . He is quite simply San Diego's top functional medicine consultant.
Research documents an easy way to slow brain shrinkage
Brain size makes a difference when it comes to memory.
The problem is that the brain shrinks as we age. If we could prevent that, we could also help prevent memory loss as we get older. That is what the reviewed research investigated (Daiello LA, et.al. 2014).
The participants were assessed with neuropsychological tests and brain magnetic resonance imaging every 6 months. The participants that used fish oil supplements during the follow up had a significantly better outcome on the neuropsychological tests which indicated better cognition.
Not only that, but the fish oil use was also associated with less atrophy (brain loss) in one or more brain regions related to memory.
The active ingredients of omega 3 fish oil is EPA and DHA, so if you are going to take fish oil, you want to use a product that has high amounts of EPA, DHA.
Daiello LA1, Gongvatana A2, Dunsiger S3, Cohen RA2, Ott BR4; Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. Association of fish oil supplement use with preservation of brain volume and cognitive function. Alzheimer's Dement. 2014 Jun 18. pii: S1552-5260(14)00079-X. doi: 10.1016/j.jalz.2014.02.005. [Epub ahead of print]
Published with permission by Didrik Sopler, Ph.D., L.Ac : www.TissueRecovery.com Dr. Marsh has worked with and referrers patients to Dr. Sopler for co-management for years . . . He is quite simply San Diego's top functional medicine consultant.
How well is your fish oil absorbed?
To maximize the benefits from the nutrients you're taking, you need to absorb them well.
The reviewed research is interesting because it investigated how well fish oil was absorbed(Beckermann B, et.al.1990). The study was a so-called crossover trial. This means that the same participants ingested different kinds of fish oil, which were compared to see if there was a difference in how well they were absorbed.
Three forms of omega-3 fat were compared, and the amount of EPA/DHA (the active ingredients of omega-3 fat) were measured in the blood after the participant ingested capsules containing different forms of omega-3 fat.
The most common form of fish oil is ethyl esters because it is cheaper to make, so that was included in the study. Also included was free fatty acids.
These two forms were compared with a triglyceride form.
The free fatty acid form was absorbed the best, but free fatty acids oxidize very easy which means they get rancid very easy, so it is unlikely that you will find that form as a supplement. The triglyceride form is the most stable form and the study documented that the triglyceride form was absorbed 50 percent better than the ethyl ester form.
It is more expensive to produce fish oil in a triglyceride form, but you don't have to pay 50 percent more for a quality product, so the triglyceride form is a better choice.
What you drink could increase your blood pressure
A lot has been written about the effect salt may have on your blood pressure, but not much has been mentioned about the topic of the reviewed research.
In this research the results of several studies which included 409,707 participants were included (Malik AH, et.al.,2014). The researchers investigated how a common habit many people have may affect their blood pressure, and that habit was drinking sugar sweetened beverages.
They found that the consumption of sugar sweetened beverages were associated with higher blood pressure leading to increased incidence of hypertension.
Comparatively few people may be aware of the health hazards of sweet soft drinks. Many also still think that a glass of fruit juice is a very healthy choice, but it is actually loaded with sugar. Keep that in mind especially now when it is summer and you want to pick up something to drink.
Water is certainly the best choice, but if you want something sparkly, use carbonated water and squeeze some lemon juice in it if you want more taste.
Malik AH1, Akram Y2, Shetty S2, Malik SS3, Yanchou Njike V4. Impact of sugar-sweetened beverages on blood pressure. Am J Cardiol. 2014 May 1;113(9):1574-80. doi: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2014.01.437. Epub 2014 Feb 12.
Published with permission by Didrik Sopler, Ph.D., L.Ac : www.TissueRecovery.com Dr. Marsh has worked with and referrers patients to Dr. Sopler for co-management for years . . . He is quite simply San Diego's top functional medicine consultant.
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