Tomatoes and breast cancer risk-reduction

You have probably heard that tomatoes are good for your eyes because of an antioxidant called lycopene. Did you know that tomatoes can make a difference with breast cancer risk? The reviewed research investigated just that (Llanos AA, et.al.,2014).

70 postmenopausal women at increased risk for breast cancer participated in the study. Their average age was 57.2 years. First they consumed a tomato-based diet which included at least 25 mg of lycopene daily for 10 weeks, and later they consumed a soy-based diet for 10 weeks which included at least 40 g of soy protein daily. The women were also tested for adiponectin and two other hormones.

Other research has documented a decreased risk for several types of cancers, including breast cancer when adiponectin is increasing(Kishida K, et. Al., 2014).

When the subjects consumed the tomato-based diet, it was found that the adiponectin concentration increased. This indicates that tomato-based food is especially beneficial for women who are at higher risk for postmenopausal breast cancer. Don’t forget that tomatoes are beneficial for other things - especially your eyes!

Llanos AA1, Peng J, Pennell ML, Krok JL, Vitolins MZ, Degraffinreid CR, Paskett ED. Effects of tomato and soy on serum adipokine concentrations in postmenopausal women at increased breast cancer risk: a cross-over dietary intervention trial. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2014 Feb;99(2):625-32. doi: 10.1210/jc.2013-3222. Epub 2014 Jan 1.

Kishida K1, Funahashi T2, Shimomura I3. Adiponectin as a routine clinical biomarker. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2014 Jan;28(1):119-30. doi: 10.1016/j.beem.2013.08.006. Epub 2013 Aug 20.

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.

High intensity exercise is best - but what kind?

I have written about high-intensity short-interval training several times, because more and more research is teaching us how to maximize our exercise benefits. Research has proven that it's a very effective way of exercising. So how can you use this principle when exercising to get the best results?

The secret is revealed in the reviewed research.(Cochran AJ,et.al.,2014). These researchers compared:

1. High-intensity short interval training performed on a stationary bike, done either for 30 seconds with 4 minutes of rest in between intervals repeated 4 times.

2. One set of continuous exercises that were matched for total energy output and required 4 minutes to complete as fast as possible.

Strangely enough, even though energy output was the same, the results were not!

After the first exercise session both protocols produced similar increases in markers of AMPK, p38 MAPK and PGC-1alpha mRNA expression. These are proteins related to mitochondrial energy production in muscles.

These proteins were also measured after six weeks of exercising three times per week. 

Here are the surprising results:

The continuous exercise protocol did not produce the same increase in these markers after six weeks as the short interval protocol with rest in between sets did. It turns out that intermittent stimulus is important for maximizing muscle adaptation.

If you want maximum results from exercise it needs to be short, very intensive intervals. You need rest in between the intervals to recover.

When you exercise this way your actual exercise time will be very short, only two minutes per session.

Cochran AJ1, Percival ME, Tricarico S, Little JP, Cermak N, Gillen JB, Tarnopolsky MA, Gibala MJ. Intermittent and continuous high-intensity exercise induce similar acute but different chronic muscle training adaptations. Exp Physiol. 2014 Feb 14. [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.

Your risk for dementia is related to the glucose level in your blood.

More and more research is documenting how the risk for dementia is affected by the level of glucose in the blood. The reviewed study used 35,264 measurements of glucose levels and also 10,208 measurements of glycated hemoglobin from 2067 participants(Crane PK, et.al.,2013). Glycated hemoglobin is a measurement of long-term glucose control. The average follow up time was 6.8 years.
 
The results documented that higher glucose levels were related to higher risk for dementia even among people without diabetes. Other studies have shown that insulin resistance is related to dementia. When fasting glucose levels go up, it means that insulin sensitivity is decreasing.

It is vitally important for your memory that you stay insulin sensitive as you get older. Keeping your insulin sensitivity strong is also important to avoid other chronic conditions.
"The Special Effects" diet is a strategic plan that reveals how your food can keep you healthy.

Crane PK1, Walker R, Hubbard RA, Li G, Nathan DM, Zheng H, Haneuse S, Craft S, Montine TJ, Kahn SE, McCormick W, McCurry SM, Bowen JD, Larson EB Glucose levels and risk of dementia. N Engl J Med. 2013 Aug 8;369(6):540-8. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1215740.

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.

Exercise: starting later in life still improves your chances of healthy aging

Is there any point to exercising if you are older? Don't make the mistake of believing that if you haven't exercised earlier in life, there’s no point in starting now! 

The reviewed research investigated the odds of healthy aging. During the 8 year study, participants were defined as healthy if they did not develop major chronic disease, depressive symptoms, physical or cognitive impairment (Hamer M, et.al., 2014).

The conclusion is that significant health benefits were seen even among participants who became physically active relatively late in life.

What is surprising was that compared with inactive participants the ones that were moderate or vigorously active just once a week were healthier, although being active more than once a week was better.
Just get off your couch and start, or encourage your elders to begin. 

Hamer M, Lavoie KL, Bacon SL. Br J Taking up physical activity in later life and healthy aging: the English longitudinal study of aging. Sports Med. 2014 Feb;48(3):239-43. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2013-092993. Epub 2013 Nov 25.

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.

Easy way to reduce the risk of fracture

Free radicals and oxidative stress may increase the risk of bone loss and muscle wasting. The reviewed research investigated if alpha tocopherol (vitamin E) intake would influence fracture risk since vitamin E is known to reduce free radical damage.

61.433 women and 1138 men were included in the study and the participants were followed for 19 years. (Michaelsson K, et.al.,2014).

The use of alpha tocopherol supplements were found to be associated with a reduced rate of both hip fractures and fractures in general for both men and women. The men were affected to an even greater degree than women.

When taking vitamin E it is recommended to use a formula which contains the different forms of vitamin E and not only alpha tocopherol even if that is the most common form found in supplements.

Michaëlsson K, Wolk A, Byberg L, Arnlöv J, Melhus H. Intake and serum concentrations of α-tocopherol in relation to fractures in elderly women and men: 2 cohort studies. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014 Jan;99(1):107-14. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.113.064691. Epub 2013 Nov 13.

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.

Speed up - and reduce your risk for weight gain!

Here is more interesting proof that it not necessary to spend a lot of time exercising to get benefits, as long as it is done a certain way (Fan JX,et.al.,2013).

The participants were 4511 adults aged 18-64 years. Body mass index was measured and accelerometers were used for measurements. The participants were divided into groups:

Higher intensity long duration walking, 10 minutes or more per day
Higher intensity short duration walking 10 minutes or less per day
Lower intensity long duration walking, 10 minutes or more per day
Lower intensity short duration walking, 10 minutes or less per day

Results showed that both high intensity long and high intensity short duration activities correlated to lower body mass index or lower risk for overweight, obesity.

The researcher stated that higher intensity physical activity of less than 10 minutes per day is highly beneficial for weight gain prevention.

The lower intensity activity did not make much difference.

Fan JX, Brown BB, Hanson H, Kowaleski-Jones L, Smith KR, Zick CD Moderate to vigorous physical activity and weight outcomes: does every minute count? Am J Health Promot. 2013 Sep-Oct;28(1):41-9. doi: 10.4278/ajhp.120606-QUAL-286. Epub 2013 Mar 4.

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.

Not all exercise burns fat equally.

Have you accepted this truism: that the more physically active you are, the less likely you are to gain weight? Here is the catch: not all exercise is equally effective when it comes to burning fat. The good news is you don't have to exercise for several hours a day to make a difference.

The reviewed research is very interesting and the results may surprise you. Healthy young men were divided into three groups: one control group did not exercise, one group did moderate intensity exercise at 50 percent Vo2peak for 60 minutes, and one group did high intensity exercise, alternating 2 minutes at 90 percent Vo2peak with 2 minutes at 25 percent Vo2peak(Trombold JR, et.al.,2013). The energy expenditure was the same for both exercise groups.

The participants were provided a test meal the morning after the exercises. Tests were performed fasting before the meal, and 2, 4, and 6 hours after the meal.

The results showed that even if the participant had similar energy expenditures the high intensity exercise was more effective in lowering triglycerides after the meal. The high intensity was also more effective in increasing fat oxidation which means the high intensity exercise burned more fat. 

Trombold JR, Christmas KM, Machin DR, Kim IY, Coyle EF  Acute high-intensity endurance exercise is more effective than moderate-intensity exercise for attenuation of postprandial triglyceride elevation. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2013 Mar 15;114(6):792-800. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.01028.2012. Epub 2013 Jan 31.

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.