Chances are you already know that eating too much sugar isn’t good for you. Yet you’re probably still overdoing it. Sugary drinks, candy, baked goods, and sweetened dairy are the main sources of added sugar. Added sugars can be hard to spot on nutrition labels since they can be listed under a number of names, such as corn syrup, agave nectar, palm sugar, cane juice, or sucrose.No matter the name, sugar is sugar, and it can negatively affect your body in many ways. Here’s a closer look at how sugar can affect your health negatively.

What effect of sugar makes it harmful?

The amount of sugar a person should consume varies, depending on their sex and age. Sugar appears in our food in many forms, including sucrose, lactose, and fructose. Sweet as it is, it sometimes has a negative impact on our health. Let’s have a look at some of these:

1. Can Cause Weight Gain- Rates of obesity are rising worldwide and added sugar, especially from sugar-sweetened beverages, is thought to be one of the main culprits. Sugar-sweetened drinks like sodas, juices and sweet teas are loaded with fructose, a type of simple sugar.
2. Can drain your energy -Because your glucose levels spike and plummet, the unstable blood sugar can leave you experiencing mood swings, fatigue, and headaches. It also contributes to cravings, which begins the cycle of false hunger. By contrast, those who avoid sugar report having fewer cravings while feeling more emotionally balanced and energized.
3. Sugar affects cognition in children.-Let’s not forget about our little ones! When New York City public schools reduced the amount of sugar in their lunches and breakfasts, their academic ranking increased by 15.7% (previously, the greatest improvement ever is seen had been 1.7%).11 The study also eliminated artificial colors, synthetic flavoring, and two preservatives, showing the importance of natural ingredients for children.
4. Increases Your Risk of Type 2 Diabetes- There is a clear link between excessive sugar consumption and diabetes risk. Obesity, which is often caused by consuming too much sugar, is considered the strongest risk factor for diabetes.Additionally, prolonged high-sugar consumption drives resistance to insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates blood sugar levels. Insulin resistance causes blood sugar levels to rise and strongly increases your risk of diabetes.
5. Your immune function can be affected by sugar.-As if being sick wasn’t bad enough, studies have shown that sugar can interfere with the way your body fights disease. Bacteria and yeast feed on sugar, so excess glucose in the body causes these organisms to build up and cause infections.
6. A high-sugar diet can lead to chromium deficiency.-Chromium, a trace mineral that helps regulate blood sugar in the body. While it can be found in meats, seafood, and plant foods, 90% of Americans still don’t get enough chromium because of refining searches.6 Other carbohydrates can also rob foods of their chromium supplies, so limiting your carbs is your best bet for increasing those mineral levels.
7. Sugar accelerates aging.-While you probably know that sugars can affect your body composition, they can also mess with your skin by contributing to wrinkles and sagging. After sugar hits your bloodstream, it attaches to proteins. The mix of these proteins with sugar causes the skin to lose elasticity and leads to premature aging.
8. Sugar causes tooth decay.-With all the other life-threatening effects of sugar, we sometimes forget the most basic cosmetic damage it does. When it sits on your teeth, sugar causes decay more efficiently than any other food.8 It’s important to brush your teeth at least twice a day to stop sugars from fueling plaque and bacteria.
9. Sugar can cause gum disease, which can lead to heart disease.-Increasing evidence shows that chronic infections, like those that result from dental problems, play a role in the development of heart disease. It is believed that a connection stems from the body’s inflammatory response to infection. Luckily, this works both ways. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle will decrease your risk of common illnesses, which reduces the chance that they’ll become a more serious condition later on.
10. Sugar takes the place of important nutrients.- According to USDA data, people who consume the most sugar have the lowest intakes of essential nutrients––especially vitamins A, C, B-12, and calcium. This is because the body needs these vitamins to process the sugar which results in the body using up its reserves and therefore “negative calories” and loss of vitamins occur.The trade-off is especially dangerous for children and teens, because they simultaneously consume the most sugar and need the most nutrients.
11. May Increase Your Risk of Heart Disease.-High-sugar diets have been associated with an increased risk of many diseases, including heart disease, the number one cause of death worldwide. Evidence suggests that high-sugar diets can lead to obesity, inflammation and high triglyceride, blood sugar, and blood pressure levels — all risk factors for heart disease.Additionally, consuming too much sugar, especially from sugar-sweetened drinks, has been linked to atherosclerosis, a disease characterized by fatty, artery-clogging deposits.
12. Can cause Acne. Foods with a high glycemic index, such as processed sweets, raise your blood sugar more rapidly than foods with a lower glycemic index. Sugary foods quickly spike blood sugar and insulin levels, causing increased androgen secretion, oil production, and inflammation, all of which play a role in acne development.
13. May Increase Your Risk of Cancer.-Eating excessive amounts of sugar may increase your risk of developing certain cancers.First, a diet rich in sugary foods and beverages can lead to obesity, which significantly raises your risk of cancer.Furthermore, diets high in sugar increase inflammation in your body and may cause insulin resistance, both of which increase cancer risk
14. Can Accelerate the Skin Aging Process.-Wrinkles are a natural sign of aging. They appear eventually, regardless of your health. However, poor food choices can worsen wrinkles and speed the skin aging process.
15. Increase kidney disease risk.-Having consistently high blood sugar levels can cause damage to the delicate blood vessels in your kidneys. This can lead to an increased risk of kidney disease.
16.  Increase the risk of developing gout. Gout is an inflammatory condition characterized by pain in the joints. Added sugars raise uric acid levels in the blood, increasing the risk of developing or worsening gout.
17. Accelerate cognitive decline: High-sugar diets can lead to impaired memory and have been linked to an increased risk of dementia.

How can you reduce your sugar intake?

Because excessive added sugar has many negative health effects and consuming small amounts now and then is perfectly healthy, you should try to cut back on sugar whenever possible. Simply focusing on eating whole, unprocessed foods automatically decreases the amount of sugar in your diet has huge gains.

Tips on how to reduce your intake of added sugars:

• Swap sodas, energy drinks, juices and sweetened teas for water or unsweetened seltzer.
• Drink your coffee black or use Stevia for a zero-calorie, natural sweetener.
• Sweeten plain yogurt with fresh or frozen berries instead of buying flavored, sugar-loaded yogurt.
• Consume whole fruits instead of sugar-sweetened fruit smoothies.
• Replace candy with a homemade trail mix of fruit, nuts and a few dark chocolate chips.
• Use olive oil and vinegar in place of sweet salad dressings like honey mustard.
• Choose marinades, nut butter, ketchup and marinara sauce with zero added sugars.
• Look for cereals, granolas and granola bars with under 4 grams of sugar per serving.
• Swap your morning cereal for a bowl of rolled oats topped with nut butter and fresh berries, or an omelet made with fresh greens.
• Instead of jelly, slice fresh bananas onto your peanut butter sandwich.
• Use natural nut butter in place of sweet spreads like Nutella.
• Avoid alcoholic beverages that are sweetened with soda, juice, honey, sugar or agave.
• Shop the perimeter of the grocery store, focusing on fresh, whole ingredients.
• Eating fruit can help ensure a person gets enough fiber, vitamins, and minerals. However many fruits are high in natural sugars and may not be suitable for those looking to lower their sugar intake. Some low-sugar fruits include strawberries, peaches, blackberries, lemons, limes, honeydew melon, oranges, and grapefruit.

Should we stop taking sugar?

Sugar is not unhealthful in itself. However, having excess sugar in the diet can cause a range of conditions, including heart disease, weight gain, and diabetes. To be aware of added sugars in food products, it is important to read labels carefully. Also, eliminating sugar from the diet can help prevent weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, and other problems. For these reasons, added sugar should be kept to a minimum whenever possible, which is easy when you follow a healthy diet based on whole foods.

If you need to cut added sugar from your diet, try some of the small changes listed above. You will slowly realize that you don’t need as much sugar as you once did.

References

Healthline(2018):11 Reasons Why Too Much Sugar Is Bad for You. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/too-much-sugar#section2
Atkins (2019): 10 Reasons Why Sugar Is Bad for Your Health, Retrieved from https://www.atkins.com/how-it-works/library/articles/10-ways-sugar-harms-your-health
WebMD: How Does Too Much Sugar Affect Your Body? Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/features/how-sugar-affects-your-body
Medical News Today (2019): 5 reasons why sugar is bad for you. Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324854.php

Sugar has been vilified over the years with claims of its disastrous effects on our health. Are these claims true? Does taken a soda a day guarantee one ill health? What of the effects of excess sugar on obesity? In this article, we will explore these claims and determine whether indeed excessive sugar intake leads to obesity.

1. What is obesity?

Obesity rates have skyrocketed over the past century. In 1962, 46 percent of adults in the U.S. were considered overweight or obese. By 2010,that figure had jumped to 75 percent.

So, what exactly is obesity……

Obesity is a complex disease involving an excessive amount of body fat. Obesity isn’t just a cosmetic concern. It is a medical problem that increases your risk of other diseases and health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and certain cancers.

Obesity is diagnosed when your body mass index (BMI) is 30 or higher. To determine your body mass index, divide your weight in pounds by your height in inches squared and multiply by 703. Or divide your weight in kilograms by your height in meters squared.

BMI	Weight status
Below 18.5	Underweight
18.5-24.9	Normal
25.0-29.9	Overweight
30.0 and higher	Obesity

For most people, BMI provides a reasonable estimate of body fat. However, BMI doesn’t directly measure body fat, so some people, such as muscular athletes, may have a BMI in the obesity category even though they don’t have excess body fat.

2. Sugar and obesity

Obesity is a complex problem with multiple causes. But among the likely suspects, sugar is a top favorite. As sugar consumption has increased, so too has the size of our waistlines.

Added sugars are a controversial and hotly debated topic. Consumption of added sugars has been implicated in increased risk of a variety of chronic diseases including obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) as well as cognitive decline and even some cancers. Support for these putative associations has been challenged, however, on a variety of fronts.

The sugars in your diet can be eithernaturally occurring or added. Naturally occurring sugars are found naturally in foods such as fruit (fructose) and milk (lactose). Added sugars are sugars and syrups put in foods during preparation or processing, or added at the table.

Numerous dietary and lifestyle habits can lead to weight gain and cause you to put on excess body fat.Consuming a diet high in added sugars, such as those found in sweetened beverages, candy, baked goods, and sugary cereals, is a contributing factor in weight gain and chronic health conditions, including obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.

Many people consume more sugar than they realize. It’s important to be aware of how much sugar you consume because our bodies don’t need sugar to function properly. Added sugars contribute zero nutrients but many added calories, which can lead to extra pounds or even obesity, thereby reducing impacting our health.

The ways in which added sugar intake leads to weight gain and increased body fat are complex and involve many factors.

3. Some ways why added sugar is fattening….

1. It is high in empty calories
   Added sugars are sweeteners added to foods and beverages to improve taste. Common types of added sugar include fructose, corn syrup, cane sugar, and agave.Excess sugar may cause you to pack on weight because it’s high in calories while offering few other nutrients.Though using small amounts of added sugar is unlikely to cause weight gain, regularly indulging in foods high in added sugars may cause you to gain excess body fat quicker and more drastically.
   2. Impacts blood sugar and hormone levels

   It’s well known that eating sugary foods significantly raises your blood sugar levels.Though enjoying a sweet food infrequently isn’t likely to harm health, daily consumption of large amounts of added sugar can lead to chronically elevated blood sugar levels.

   Prolonged elevated blood sugar — known as hyperglycemia — can cause serious harm to your body, by causing insulin resistance and resulting including weight gain.

   3. May lead to overeating

   Foods high in added sugars tend to be less filling. Eating foods rich in carbs — particularly refined carbs high in added sugars — yet low in protein can negatively impact fullness and may lead to weight gain by causing you to eat more at subsequent meals throughout the day or overeat at any one particular seating.

   Animal studies indicate that fructose impacts signaling systems in your hypothalamus, increasing levels of hunger-stimulating neuropeptides — molecules that communicate with one another, influencing brain activity — while decreasing fullness signals. Additionally, your body is predisposed to crave sweetness. In fact, research shows that sugar consumption is driven by the pleasure derived from the sweet taste of sugary drinks and foods.

   4. Linked to obesity and chronic disease

   Numerous studies have linked high intake of added sugars to weight gain and chronic conditions, such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.This effect has been observed both in adults and in children. Recently, a review of 30 studies in more than 242,000 adults and children found a significant link between sugar-sweetened beverages and obesity.

   4. What are some of the health problems associated with obesity?

   People with obesity are more likely to develop a number of potentially serious health problems, including:

   • Heart disease and strokes. Obesity makes you more likely to have high blood pressure and abnormal cholesterol levels, which are risk factors for heart disease and strokes.
   • Type 2 diabetes. Obesity can affect the way your body uses insulin to control blood sugar levels. This raises your risk of insulin resistance and diabetes.
   • Certain cancers. Obesity may increase your risk of cancer of the uterus, cervix, endometrium, ovary, breast, colon, rectum, esophagus, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, kidney and prostate.
   • Digestive problems. Obesity increases the likelihood that you’ll develop heartburn, gallbladder disease and liver problems.
   • Gynecological and sexual problems. Obesity may cause infertility and irregular periods in women. Obesity also can cause erectile dysfunction in men.
   • Sleep apnea. People with obesity are more likely to have sleep apnea, a potentially serious disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep.
   • Osteoarthritis. Obesity increases the stress placed on weight-bearing joints, in addition to promoting inflammation within the body. These factors may lead to complications such as osteoarthritis.

   5. How can obesity affect your quality of life?

   People who are obese often find themselves struggling with some issues that might diminish their overall quality of life. Some of these issues might include:

   • Depression
   • Disability
   • Sexual problems
   • Shame and guilt
   • Social isolation
   • Lower work achievement

   6. How can you keep yourself from getting obese?
   

   Whether you’re at risk of obesity, currently overweight or at a healthy weight, you can take steps to prevent unhealthy weight gain and related health problems.

   • Exercise regularly. You need to get 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week to prevent weight gain. Moderately intense physical activities include fast walking and swimming.
   • Follow a healthy-eating plan. Focus on low-calorie, nutrient-dense foods, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Avoid saturated fat and limit sweets and alcohol. Eat three regular meals a day with limited snacking. You can still enjoy small amounts of high-fat, high-calorie foods as an infrequent treat.
   • Know and avoid the food traps that cause you to eat. Identify situations that trigger out-of-control eating. Try keeping a journal and write down what you eat, how much you eat, when you eat, how you’re feeling and how hungry you are, stay in control of your eating behaviors.
   • Monitor your weight regularly. People who weigh themselves at least once a week are more successful in keeping off excess pounds.
   • Be consistent. Sticking to your healthy-weight plan all the time
     

     7. So, is sugar friend or foe?

     Interfering with your hormones, increasing hunger, and displacing healthy foods are just a few of the ways that added sugars can lead to weight gain.Aside from causing you to put on excess body fat, eating too much added sugar can significantly increase your risk of chronic conditions, such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. It is thus wise to consume added sugars with caution because a stitch in time save nine.

     References

     1. Endocrineweb(2018):Insulin Resistance Causes and Symptoms, Retrieved from

     https://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/type-2-diabetes/insulin-resistance-causes-symptoms

     2. Healthline (2019):6 Ways Added Sugar Is Fattening. Retrieved from

     https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/does-sugar-make-you-fat#section1

     3. American Heart Association (2018): Added Sugars. Retrieved from

     https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sugar/added-sugars

     4. NCBI (2016): Relationship between Added Sugars Consumption and Chronic Disease Risk Factors: Current Understanding. Retrieved from

     https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5133084/

     5. John Hopkins Medicine (2019): Obesity, Sugar and Heart Health. Retrieved from

     https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/obesity-sugar-and-heart-health

     6. Mayo Clinic: Retrieved from

     https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/obesity/symptoms-causes/syc-20375742

Given that obesity and associated disorder type II diabetes mellitus have reached epidemic proportions worldwide, the development of efficient prevention and therapeutic interventions is a global public health interest. There is now a large body of evidence suggesting that the micro-organisms colonizing the human gut, known as gut microbiota, play a central role in human physiology and metabolism. Understanding how gut microbiota affects and regulates key metabolic functions such as glucose regulation and insulin resistance is an important health issue. We will highlight how prebiotic/probiotic interventions affect these bacterial processes and are now considered as promising approaches to treat obese and diabetic patients.

1. The gut microbiota of an obese person…

Obesity is a chronic, complex, and multifactorial disease representing the fifth leading cause of death in the world and accounting for almost 3.4 million deaths each year. Low-grade inflammation is the hallmark of metabolic disorders such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Microbiota is now recognized as a real functional “organ” due to its immense impact on human health and has become the subject of intensive research over recent years. The vast majority of microbes reside in the intestinal tract, where they influence host physiology by playing fundamentally important roles in digestion, nutrition, immune regulation, and metabolism.

Gut microbiota composition and activity can fluctuate over time and depend on different factors including genetics, sex, age, health status, and drug/antibiotic consumption. Over the last decade, a large number of publications have reported a prominent role of microbiota in metabolic diseases.

Notably, accumulated evidence suggests an association between a dysregulated gut microbiome and obesity, glycemic control impairment, and therefore T2DM pathophysiology.

2. Obesity, Diabetes, and Dysbiosis

The preservation a normal and healthy gut microbiota plays a critical role in maintaining good health. Alterations of both composition and function of the microbiota, termed dysbiosis, are common features of several pathologies including metabolic diseases such as obesity and T2DM.

A number of preclinical and clinical studies have attempted to describe the differences between gut microbiota in obese, compared to lean individuals and have reported that obesity is related to lower microbial diversity and greater depletion. In early obesity, microbiota studies report that an increase of body weight is associated with a microbiota shift.

Although T2DM is generally considered as an attribute to obesity, some studies have correlated glycemic control impairment and insulin resistance to specific gut microbiota composition. Furthermore, antidiabetic drugs liraglutide and metformin have been recently shown to significantly lower body weight and improve glucose metabolism while considerably modifying the composition of gut microbiota.

Liraglutide decreased obesity-related microbial phenotypes and increased lean-related phenotypes while metformin modifies the intestinal microbiota composition by inducing the growth of several bacteria.

There is proof that gut microbiota is involved in the beneficial glucose-lowering effects of antidiabetic agents and that it is a promising therapeutic target in T2DM and the glycemic control impairment context.

3. How can Gut Microbiota be moderated?

Through several mechanisms, gut bacteria influence the chronic low grade inflammation that culminates in insulin resistance and the increase in fat deposits and body weight gain, characteristic of obese individuals.

With the acknowledgement of these obesity and inflammation induction mechanisms, several strategies to block or attenuate them are being developed and tested, in order to benefit obese and type 2 diabetic patients. We will look at these mechanisms and the effect they have:

3.1. Antibiotic Therapy

The use of broad spectrum antibiotic therapy greatly modifies the gut microbiota profile although the prevalence of surviving bacteria and the benefits for the host have not been determined, as the concept of a “healthy” gut microbiota is still under investigation.

The main mechanism suggested by antibiotic administration is a reduction in circulating LPS levels, which lessens inflammation and improves the insulin resistance induced by obesity in the liver, muscle, and adipose tissue. Improved intestinal function has also been noted as a benefit of the administration of antibiotics.

However, even with this striking metabolic improvement in antibiotic therapy experiments, it seems that translating this strategy to humans is not the best option, as there are complex issues such as antibiotic resistance in chronic administration panels and evidence that indicates a relationship between chronic low-dose antibiotic therapy and body weight gain.

3.2. Probiotics

Probiotics are live microorganisms that can be consumed through fermented foods or supplements. More and more studies show that the balance or imbalance of bacteria in your digestive system is linked to overall health and disease. Probiotics promote a healthy balance of gut bacteria and have been linked to a wide range of health benefits.

As obesity is a key cause of diabetes, probiotics can help with weight loss through a number of different mechanisms. An example is that some probiotics prevent the absorption of dietary fat in the intestine.The fat is then excreted through feces rather than stored in the body. Probiotics may also help you feel fuller for longer, burn more calories and store less fat. This is partly caused by increasing levels of certain hormones, such as GLP-1.

Probiotics may also help with weight loss directly. In one study, dieting women who took Lactobacillus rhamnosus for 3 months lost 50% more weight than women who didn’t take a probiotic. Another study of 210 people found that taking even low doses of Lactobacillus gasseri for 12 weeks resulted in an 8.5%.

It is however important to note that not all probiotics aid in weight loss. Some studies have found certain probiotics, such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, can even lead to weight gain.

3.3. Prebiotics

Prebiotics are classified as the non-digestible food ingredients that probiotics can feed off. They are used in the gut to increase populations of healthy bacteria, aid digestion and enhance the production of valuable vitamins. Galactooligosaccharides (GOS) are the most advanced form of prebiotics which belong to a group of particular nutrient fibers that feed and encourage the growth of good bacteria in the gut.

The major source of prebiotics is dietary fibre. They occur naturally in fruits and vegetables, but you can also take them in the form of nutritional supplements.

3.4. Bariatric Surgery

Bariatric surgery is an important method in the treatment of obesity. It is quite effective in achieving and protecting weight loss. This effectiveness of obesity treatment after bariatric surgery is not only related to food consumption. The altered microbiota after bariatric surgery has an impact on its effectiveness. Malabsorption status after bariatric surgery, changes in the metabolism of bile acids, changes in gastric pH, and changes in the metabolism of hormones lead to gut microbiota changes. Changes in microbiota also affect energy homeostasis. Because of these reasons, body weight loss is achieved after bariatric surgery.

4. What role will gut microbiota play in the treatment of T2DM in the future?

It is becoming increasingly clear that gut microbiota has profound impact on general health and well-being. Notably, it is now well-established that imbalanced gut microbiota is linked to host glycemic control impairment and T2DM development. Although the precise role of gut microbiota remains incompletely understood, further investigation is likely to be very helpful in the treatment and control of obesity, and resultant Type 2 Diabetes.

Current treatments of this complex chronic disease are far from being ideal since in a majority of patients, T2DM remains poorly controlled in the long run. Using pre/probiotics to control blood glucose has been considered for a long time, and the discovery of the key roles of gut bacteria in T2DM has boosted research efforts in this field.

A better understanding of how gut microbiota impacts general health will help in outlining new treatment strategies. These strategies will help in identifying probiotic strains with antidiabetic activities, or nutritional interventions that can increase helpful microbiota in the gut.

References:

1. Hindawi (2013): Influence of Gut Microbiota on Subclinical Inflammation and Insulin Resistance. Retrieved from https://www.hindawi.com/journals/mi/2013/986734/2. Frontiers in Endrocrinology (2019): Impact of Gut Microbiota on Host Glycemic Control. Retrieved from https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2019.00029/full

3. NCBI (2019): The effects of bariatric surgery on gut microbiota in patients with obesity: a review of the literature. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6343052/

4. Bimuno(2018) : Prebiotics. Retrieved from https://www.bimuno.com/prebiotics

5. Healthline (2016): 8 Health Benefits of Probiotics. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/8-health-benefits-of-probiotics

Can certain foods really help you fight heart disease, arthritis, and dementia?

In health, as with so many things, our greatest strength can be our greatest weakness. Take our astonishingly sophisticated response to injury and infection. Our bodies unleash armies of cellular troops to slaughter invaders and clear out traitors. Their movements are marshaled by signaling chemicals, such as the interleukins, which tell cells where and when to fight and when to stand down. We experience this as the swelling, redness, and soreness of inflammation—an essential part of healing.

But when the wars fail to wind down, when inflammation becomes chronic or systemic, there’s hell to pay. I’m looking at you, arthritis, colitis and bursitis, and at you, diabetes, colon cancer, Alzheimer’s and cardiovascular disease.

Cardiovascular disease is the world’s biggest killer, and we’ve known for 20 years that inflammation (along with too much cholesterol) ignites the buildup of plaque in our arteries. Still, no one knew if runaway inflammation could actually pull the trigger on heart attacks and strokes—until this summer. Results from a large, well-designed trial showed that certain high-risk patients suffered fewer of these “events” (as doctors so mildly call them) when given a drug that precisely targets inflammation (aiming at interleukin 1). It was sweet vindication for the cardiologist and principal investigator Paul Ridker of Harvard University, director of the Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, who had long contended that inflammation was as vital a target as cholesterol.

The patients in Ridker’s study had already suffered a heart attack and had persistent inflammation (as measured by blood levels of C-reactive protein). But it is tempting to extrapolate lessons for all of us. Given that chronic inflammation plays a nefarious role in heart disease and many other disorders, shouldn’t we all do what we can to keep it in check? And I’m not talking about taking drugs like ibuprofen, which ease short-term inflammation. I mean something we can do every day of our lives: eat right.

Hop on the Internet or visit a bookstore, and you will see “anti-inflammatory” diets galore, dishing out recipes and hope. Many aims at specific ailments—arthritis, breast cancer, heart disease, various autoimmune disorders. Health guru Andrew Weil goes so far as to offer an “Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid.”

The underlying science, however, is somewhat shaky. Sure, plenty of foods have been found to reduce inflammation—many of them in laboratory experiments as opposed to in people: turmeric, blueberries, ginger, tea, various vegetables, dark chocolate, fish. University of South Carolina epidemiologists James Hébert and Nitin Shivappa valiantly surveyed 1,943 such studies and published in 2014 a Dietary Inflammatory Index, with 45 food elements. They created it as a research tool for evaluating diets but concede it’s built from studies that varied widely in methodology.

When I asked Ridker his views on anti-inflammatory diets, he grew uneasy. “This has caught on like wildfire,” he says, “but I have seen extremely little data that say this piece of food is ‘anti-inflammatory’ and this piece is ‘pro-inflammatory.’” He advises his own patients to eat a Mediterranean-type diet, heavy on vegetables, whole grains and fish and light on red meat and processed foods.

That diet, long endorsed by cardiologists, has been shown in well-designed studies to reduce key markers of inflammation and the risk of heart disease. Would it be even more effective if it incorporated more blueberries and turmeric? No one knows for sure.

may work anti-inflammatory wonders for mice, but “that’s in the context of rodent chow with a whole different set of macro and micronutrients,” explains Martha Clare Morris, a nutritional epidemiologist at Chicago’s Rush University. And context matters. The typical Mediterranean diet calls for loads of seafood a week, and yet studies of people taking fish oils as a supplement has not found many benefits. The virtues of fish may lie elsewhere or have more to do with displacing meat.

That’s why researchers such as Morris prefer to study overall dietary patterns rather than particular ingredients. Her current project examines whether cognitive decline can be slowed with a regimen called the MIND diet, which combines elements of the Mediterranean diet with another well-studied diet called DASH. It will look at inflammation, but results won’t be out before 2021.

Until then, there is no harm in adding more so-called anti-inflammatory ingredients to your diet. Hébert suggests a spicy chai (loaded with ginger, turmeric, and pepper). But remember the context! So don’t drink it with cookies and chips.

Many people living with diabetes often wonder if diabetes remission is a possibility for them.  Well, for most people, this is an achievable goal. If you are lucky enough you can go for years without taking any diabetes medication but still maintain normal sugar levels if you are willing to put in the hard work. This article will show you how.

Type 2 diabetes is a serious chronic condition that can cause debilitating effects. It can be lifelong and get worse over time for many, but only the flip side, it can also present no problems when it goes into long-term remission.

Most people embrace a triad approach to treating Type 2 diabetes; medication, diet, and exercise. Some lucky few are able to drop off their medication and still maintain normal blood sugar.  But research shows that many people can be able to achieve a similar level of success in the management of diabetes.

Is diabetes reversal the same as diabetes remission?

Remission is often confused with diabetes reversal. However, the two mean totally different things. Whereas reversal implies that one is completely cured of diabetes, remission means that a person is living symptom-free for a long duration of time without being on medication. With remission, there is always the awareness that the disease might recur. Our article on the difference between diabetes reversal and remission explains it better. You can read it here.

What is diabetes remission?

Diabetes remission occurs in people suffering from Type 2 diabetes; it means that you can maintain normal blood sugar levels without needing to take any diabetes medication. Diabetes remission is not a cure for diabetes. The term remission means that Type 2 diabetes might come back, or it might not. Also, if one resumes normal diet and lifestyle (unhealthy) then their blood sugar is likely to spike.

In 2009, the American Diabetes Association defined Type 2 Diabetes as follows:

3 Categories

Partial remission, complete remission and prolonged remission as

• Partial remission: blood sugar which does not meet the classification for Type 2 Diabetes; fasting blood glucose 5.5 – 6.9 mmol/l for at least 1 year.
• Complete remission: normal glucose values i.e. fasting blood glucose < 5.6 mmol/L for at least 1 year.
• Prolonged remission: normal glucose values i.e.
  fasting blood glucose < 5.6 mmol/L for at least 5.

For all the three categories listed above, the patient must have been off all diabetic medication for the given duration of time. According to the American Diabetes Association, when a person combines diet and exercise with blood sugar lowering medication such as Metformin they do not qualify for remission.

Remission can be achieved after bariatric surgery or by making drastic dietary and lifestyle changes.

How To Achieve Diabetes Remission

1.    Weight Loss

Losing weight around the waist can significantly increase your chances of remission.

Before embarking on a weight loss journey, it is important to first consult with your healthcare provider. This is to make sure it’s safe for you, especially if you have other health conditions. You might also need help in determining which weight loss approach works best for you.

To understand how losing weight can cause remission, we need to draw the link between being overweight and Type 2 diabetes. The fat that builds up around the midsection is dangerous because it surrounds important organs like the liver and pancreas. This makes it more difficult for those organs to work properly, leading to Type 2 diabetes.

Research has shown that almost 50% of individuals with type 2 diabetes can achieve remission to a non-diabetic state through weight loss. This has been associated with early and sustained improvement in the functioning of pancreatic beta cells.

However, not everyone who develops Type 2 diabetes is overweight. Other factors such as age, ethnicity and family history come into play as well. These factors influence how well the liver and pancreas work, and also where we store our fat. As much as we cannot change these factors, we can influence diabetes type 2 by altering the factors within our control.

Also, not everyone who loses extra weight will go into remission. However, weight loss on its own has significant health merits for a diabetic person. This may mean having to take fewer meds and having less risk for complications.

2.    Making Drastic Diet and lifestyle changes

Research has shown that a low-calorie diet could help people lose weight and go into remission. Other than promoting weight loss, switching to a non-inflammatory diet can also reduce insulin resistance. Metabolic inflammation is a key driver for insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Improving insulin sensitivity can trigger remission. For more on non-inflammatory diets, you can read out the article here.

Lifestyle changes such as taking up regular exercise will also help to achieve weight loss.

3.    Weight loss surgery for diabetes remission

Bariatric surgery can also help one to achieve remission. What bariatric surgery does is to actually help one to eat less and achieve healthy and sustainable weight loss. Bariatric surgery is not a quick fix for obesity and diabetes. However, in a few circumstances, your doctor may recommend this approach. Note that before approval you have to show dedication and discipline that you will be able to stick through the weight loss program.

What To Do When You Are In Remission

Diabetes remission may mean different things for different people. For others, it may last for a year before it recurs again while for others it may disappear for extended periods of time. However, it comes with reduced blood sugar, better cholesterol levels and reduced blood pressure for most people. These signs are an indication of better health outcomes in the long run.

Once you are in remission, you should strive to maintain the positive health habits that triggered the remission in the first place. Keep going to your regular check-ups and speak to your healthcare team if you’re worried about anything or have any questions. Maintain a positive and hopeful spirit as you work towards achieving prolonged remission.

References

1. Diabetes UK: What is diabetes? Retrieved from https://www.diabetes.org.uk/diabetes-the-basics/what-is-type-2-diabetes
2. Diabetes UK: Diabetes Remission. Retrieved from https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/managing-your-diabetes/treating-your-diabetes/type2-diabetes-remission#remission%20research
3. Science Daily (2018): Why weight loss produces remission of type 2 diabetes in some patients. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180802141722.htm

In our previous article, I introduced the term diabesity. In case you haven’t read it, you can check it here (link to what is diabesity). In a nutshell, diabesity is the description of diabetes type 2 when it occurs in the context of obesity. Diabesity is triggered by the onset of insulin resistance which means that insulin is not able to take out glucose from the bloodstream. Insulin resistance is often accompanied by excessive insulin as the beta cells of the pancreas keep producing more insulin to get rid of excess sugar. In this article, we will discuss what role inflammation plays and why it might be the most important mechanism fuelling the diabesity epidemic.

Why are anti-inflammatory drugs not the mainstay of diabetes type 2 treatment?

Before delving into the meat of the diabesity-inflammation pendulum, I decided to throw in a teaser.  I will quote from an article published in JCI in 2006 titled “Inflammation and Insulin Resistance.”

“Clues to the involvement of inflammation in diabetes date back to more than a century ago when high doses of sodium salicylate (5.0–7.5 g/d) were first demonstrated to diminish glycosuria in diabetic patients having type 2 diabetes. In 1876 Ebstein concluded that sodium salicylate could make the symptoms of diabetes mellitus totally disappear.”

Why then are anti-inflammatory agents not the mainstay of diabetes type 2 treatment? This is indeed a controversial topic. However, it is believed that sodium salicylate was dropped because of the serious side effects it causes when given in high doses.

Now we can look at the pendulous relationship between diabesity and inflammation.

How does Inflammation Cause Diabesity?

There are several lines of evidence linking inflammation with obesity and diabetes. I will outline a few:

1. Inflammatory markers are elevated prior to the diabesity.

Elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines could indicate future weight gain and obesity. A lab study also showed that an infusion of inflammatory cytokines into healthy mice causes insulin resistance.

This idea is also supported by the fact that people with other chronic inflammatory conditions are more likely to develop diabesity and type 2 diabetes.

2. Inflammation causes insulin resistance

Inflammation of the fat tissue causes insulin resistance, which is the primary cause of diabesity. A small protein known as TNF-α which is released during inflammation has been shown to cause insulin resistance. Other inflammatory proteins such as MCP-1 and C-Reactive protein, have also been linked to insulin resistance.

3. Inflammation in the brain causes leptin resistance

Inflammatory signaling in the hypothalamus has been linked to leptin resistance in both animals and humans. Leptin is produced in fat cells but exerts its effects primarily in the hypothalamus. It is the starvation hormone, but it is also referred to as the obesity hormone. Leptin resistance means that your body is no longer responsive to the hormone leptin. When this happens, your brain is fooled into believing that you are starving and hence you need to keep eating more and more food. Eventually, this leads to diabesity.

How Does Diabesity Cause Inflammation?

For a long time, it was believed that fat is an inert tissue with no biological activity. However, it is now known that fat is a metabolically active endocrine organ that produces hormones and inflammatory molecules. The feature of fat is the key to understanding its role in diabesity and inflammation.

1. Diabesity induces inflammation as a protective mechanism.

Diabesity causes the buildup of fat around the waist. Fat storage is an anabolic process while inflammation is a catabolic process. The body may activate catabolism through inflammation so as to keep weight within acceptable limits. Experimentally induced inflammation in fat tissue has been shown to initiate weight loss and improve insulin resistance.

2. Diabesity related stresses could cause inflammation

Obesity has been associated with chronic low-level inflammation. it is hypothesized that the stresses of diabesity are similar to the stresses caused by an infection. As a result, the body responds in a similar way by triggering inflammation.

Obesity has also been linked to the release of inflammatory compounds such as TNF-α. This means that the more fat tissue you have, the more inflammation you are likely to have.

The Chicken Versus The Egg

It is clear that there is a direct relationship between diabesity and inflammation. However, it is not very clear which factor precedes the other. Inflammation is both the cause and the result of diabesity. Inflammation plays a big role in causing diabesity. On the other hand, the occurrence of diabesity can further stimulate the production of inflammatory cytokines, forming a vicious cycle of inflammation and diabesity.

We can then confidently conclude that the best approach towards the treatment or prevention of diabesity has to begin with addressing the underlying inflammation. It should also involve treating inflammation once diabesity has occurred. The modern clinical approach is focused on regulating blood sugar without addressing inflammation.  Unfortunately, such an approach is bound to produce inferior results.

References

1.   ADA: Inflammation-Sensitive Plasma Proteins Are Associated With Future Weight Gain.  Retrieved from https://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/content/52/8/2097.full?ijkey=c30ecf67b38ac20bc59ecf06ac0a8cbb539532fc

2.   NCBI (1993): Adipose expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha: direct role in obesity-linked insulin resistance. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7678183?dopt=Abstract

3.   NCBI (2012): Obesity is associated with hypothalamic injury in rodents and humans. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3248304/

4.   JCI (2005): Inflammation, stress, and diabetes. Retrieved from https://www.jci.org/articles/view/25102/version/1

After medicating on a high THC strain, you may feel like you are chewing on glue and losing saliva. This may also be accompanied by bad breath, making the experience even more hellish. Welcome to cotton-mouth, a major annoyance that comes with cannabis.

The medicinal properties of cannabis have attracted an assortment of patients. However, all is not bliss as patients frequently have to deal with one annoyance: cotton-mouth and the resulting breath issues. This article shows you what to do about this to give you a more delightful experience as you medicate on cannabis.

What Is Cotton-mouth?

If you are consuming cannabis for the first time, you might be quite appalled by the sticky and dry feeling left in your mouth. Unfortunately, this is bound to happen every time you partake, but there are a few tricks that you can use to minimize this effect. In summary, that effect is what is referred to as cotton-mouth in cannabis circles. Cotton-mouth is not just limited to smoking cannabis, it also happens when you take cannabis through different methods such as consuming cannabis-infused edibles.

What Causes Cotton-mouth?

Cotton-mouth is triggered by decreased production of saliva in the mouth. When this happens, your mouth dries up and this comes with the stickiness and bad breath.

Cannabis contains different compounds such as cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and other nutrients. All these compounds have some therapeutic usefulness, but cannabinoids have substantially significant therapeutic value. THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol) are the most studied, and most popular, cannabinoids. THC is responsible for the psychoactive stimulating properties of the herb.

Research has shown that THC is actually responsible for the cotton-mouth effect produced by cannabis. It is the only cannabinoid that binds to CB1 receptors in the brain, that’s also why it can cause psychoactive effects. Apart from this, it also acts on salivary glands to cause that dry, sticky feeling associated with cotton-mouth.

One study, published in the journal of Experimental Biology and Medicine (2006), showed that salivary glands (submandibular) have both CB1 and CB2 receptors. This confirmed that cannabinoids from cannabis could affect saliva production. The study found that both CB1 and CB2 receptors were present in the salivary tissue. This indicates that the endocannabinoid system plays a key role in salivary production, and therefore could be responsible for cotton-mouth symptoms. The study concluded that cannabinoids inhibit saliva secretion by acting through CB1 and CB2 receptors in the salivary glands.

The study also found that THC, which is analogous to the body’s own cannabinoids- anandamide, could inhibit saliva secretion. This possibly explains the link between cannabis and cotton-mouth.

How to Get Rid of Cotton-mouth

Now that you know how cotton-mouth comes about, how do you deal with it?
Cotton-mouth is the result of diminished saliva production in the mouth, the result of which is a dry and sticky mouth. Sorting this out would definitely imply increasing saliva production.

There is a number of fast remedies that can trigger saliva secretion. The first is chewing gum or any hard chewy foods. This is set to stimulate your salivary glands to secrete saliva.

Chewing on sour foods such as sour candy, vinegar pickles, or lemons can also help to increase saliva production and get rid of cotton-mouth. Sour foods have a way of stimulating salivary glands.

Lastly, you can get rid of dry mouth by simply rehydrating. You can either suck on ice cubes or sip on water/ or other non-caffeinated drinks. You can do this as you continue enjoying your cannabis to ensure that your mouth doesn’t get the chance to dry out. Rehydrating will also help to ease some of the symptoms of cannabis smoking, such as a sore/dry throat.

What About The Cannabis Breath Problem?

Cotton-mouth is not the only annoying thing that comes with consuming cannabis. Many users also experience bad breath that goes hand in hand with cotton-mouth, and for some, this is even worse as it can draw the wrong kind of attention. Remember that saliva helps to clean out bad bacteria that are responsible for bad breath. So how do you deal with cannabis bad breath? There are four things you can do to nip this menace right in the bud.

1. Practice good oral hygiene on a daily basis.

Good hygiene involves regular brushing, flossing, and mouth washing twice a day to prevent the build-up of bacteria that causes bad breath. This will also help to get rid of any bad smell caused by cannabis.

2. Use clean smoking devices

Using dirty or sharing cannabis equipment will promote the transfer of bacteria that may cause bad breath. Avoid sharing cannabis smoking equipment and also clean your equipment thoroughly after use before using again.

Where possible, don’t use smoke-producing methods such as traditional joints to take your cannabis. Smoke is likely to increase your production of bad breath.

3. Reduce cotton-mouth

Remember that mouth-drying is responsible for bad breath. To avoid cotton-mouth you can go for low THC strains or take them in moderation. Reducing cotton-mouth is one of the most effective ways to help treat cannabis breath.

4. When it happens, rehydrate

Lastly, should you sense bad breath after taking cannabis, do not panic. All you need to do is o get rid of cannabis bad breath as fast as possible. Some quick fixes include chewing gum, sucking on a lemon, and chewing the mint leaf. This will help to stimulate saliva production that will clear bacteria responsible for causing bad breath. You can also use mouth sprays or mints that can clear the smell. If this does not work, you will need to brush your teeth and floss to save face.

Cotton-mouth is one of the annoying symptoms that come with medicating on cannabis. This is generally triggered by THC which diminishes saliva production. Fortunately, you can fix this by employing the tactics listed above. I hope you really enjoy your next cannabis indulging experience.

References

1. High Times (2018): What To Do When You Have Cotton Mouth. Retrieved from https://hightimes.com/guides/cotton-mouth/
2. Research Gate (2006): Inhibition of salivary secretion by activation of cannabinoid receptors. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/6843321_Inhibition_of_salivary_secretion_by_activation_of_cannabinoid_receptors
3. NCBI (2006): Inhibition of salivary secretion by activation of cannabinoid receptors. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16946411

We have heard a lot about the unhealthy effects of fat. But did you know that some fats are actually good for your overall health and wellbeing? Conjugated linoleic is one such kind of fat. This article explains why you need not worry about this healthy trans-fat.

What Is Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)?

CLA is a type of polyunsaturated, omega-6 fatty acid that is mostly found in the meat and milk of ruminants, such as cows, goats, and sheep. There are 28 different forms of CLA, the difference being in the arrangement of the double bonds. “Conjugated” in this case has to do with the arrangement of the double bonds in the structure of the fatty acid molecule.

CLA is naturally trans fat and is not associated with the health risks that occur when one consumes high amounts of artificial trans fats such as industrial trans fats.

CLA Is Mostly Found In Grass-Fed Animals

The total amounts of CLA found in animal meat and dairy will vary depending on what the animals are fed on. Research has shown that grass-fed animals have the highest amounts of linoleic acid.  They are also loaded with Vitamin K which offers additional health benefits.

The average intake of CLA in the US is about 151 mg per day for women and 212 mg for men. Many CLA supplements have flooded the market but unfortunately, most of them are not derived from natural sources. Most of the supplements are made from linoleic acid that is derived from vegetable sources and later chemically altered to resemble CLA. For this reason, CLA supplements may not provide the same health effects as naturally occurring CLA from dietary intake.

Can CLA Help In Weight Loss?

Conjugated linoleic acid, just like other fats, is not inert but has biologic activity. Research suggests that CLA may help in weight loss through different mechanisms. This includes:

• Fat burning
• Reducing food intake
• Stimulates fat breakdown
• Inhibits fat production

Human studies have also shown that CLA can help to reduce body fat while increasing muscle mass. However, some human studies have only shown modest effects on weight loss. Here, weight loss is most pronounced during the first six months, after which it plateaus for up to two years.

Other Health Benefits of Conjugated Linoleic Acid

People who get a lot of CLA from foods are at a lower risk of various diseases. This is especially the case in areas where cows predominantly eat grass — rather than grain.

CLA is also useful for:

• Controlling high blood pressure
• Reducing obesity
• Improving metabolic syndrome
• Treating symptoms of hay fever allergies
• Improve airway sensitivity in asthma
• Reduce risk for breast cancer
• Improve cognitive function in elderly men
• Relieving symptoms of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
• Reducing pain, inflammation, and stiffness in rheumatoid arthritis

Many studies have suggested that people who eat the most CLA from dietary sources have improved metabolic health and a lower risk of many diseases.

Does CLA Cause Serious Side Effects?

Even though consuming small amounts of natural CLA is beneficial, high doses may trigger serious side effects. High doses are usually found in supplements that are made by chemically altering linoleic acid from vegetable oils. CLA supplements usually come in higher doses as compared to the amounts people get from dairy or meat.

Studies have shown that high amounts of supplemental CLA can cause increased accumulation of fat in your liver. In time this will contribute to the development of metabolic syndrome and diabetes.

High amounts of CLA can also trigger inflammation and fuel insulin resistance. This is unfortunate as it counters the potential health benefits that can be derived from this fatty acid.

Other side effects that are associated with high doses of conjugated linoleic acid include:

• Diarrhea
• Insulin resistance
• Oxidative stress

To avoid this, you need to stick to the recommended daily doses of CLA, especially when taking supplements. Whenever possible, stick to CLA that is directly derived from meat or dairy sources.

What Is The Appropriate Dose Of CLA?

The appropriate dose for CLA for adults is about 3.2–6.4 grams per day. One review gave an estimate of a minimum of 3 grams daily for weight loss. Doses of up to 6 grams per day can be taken without causing any serious adverse side effects.

The FDA allows CLA to be added to foods and gives it a GRAS (generally regarded as safe) status. However, you should remember to adhere to appropriate dosages as higher doses can easily trigger unwanted side effects.

In Conclusion

Conjugated linoleic acid has been used effectively to stimulate weight loss. It has also shown potential in the treatment of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and other health conditions.

Although it doesn’t cause any serious side effects at doses up to 6 grams per day, higher doses, especially from dietary supplements, may cause long-term negative effects. Since this is a potential issue, you should consider safer alternative ways to lose fat.

• References

1. NCBI (2011): Effects of ruminant trans fatty acids on cardiovascular disease and cancer: a comprehensive review of epidemiological, clinical, and mechanistic studies. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22332075
2. NCBI (2001): Estimation of conjugated linoleic acid intake by written dietary assessment methodologies underestimates actual intake evaluated by food duplicate methodology. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11340114
3. NCBI (2009): Antiobesity Mechanisms of Action of Conjugated Linoleic Acid. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2826589/
4. NCBI (2007): Efficacy of conjugated linoleic acid for reducing fat mass: a meta-analysis in humans. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17490954
5. NCBI (2010): Conjugated linoleic acid in adipose tissue and risk of myocardial infarction. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20463040

Big pharma is so prevalent in the academic world of policy and thought leaders, that it is no longer considered a “conflict of interest” to recommend a pharmaceutical that compensated that policy or thought leader, it is now simply considered a “duality of interest.”