Important Points:
- Sugar
- Behavior
- Learning
- Brain
- Memory
Sugar: Is it bad for kids’ learning and behavior?
The effect of sugar intake on children’s behavior is a hotly debated topic in pediatrics. Parents and educators often contend that sugar and other carbohydrate ingestion can dramatically impact children’s behavior, particularly their activity levels. Physicians, on the other hand, have looked at controlled studies of sugar intake and have not found hypoglycemia or other blood sugar abnormalities in the children who are consuming large amounts of sugar. So how do sugar and behavior go together?
What effects of sugar make it harmful?
Diets high in refined sugar and saturated fat not only contribute to weight gain and associated health issues, but also have a profoundly detrimental impact on brain function.
It is known that excessive consumption of sugar damages areas of the brain essential for learning and memory processes. Neurons in brain regions, including the hippocampus, that encode memories no longer work efficiently leading to poorer learning.
Recent research in rodents has shown the adolescent brain is at an increased risk of developing diet-induced cognitive dysfunction. Teenage rats that drank sugary beverages were less able to remember a specific location leading to an escape hatch. This was compared to adult rats drinking sugary beverages, and teenage rats that had low-sugar diets.
The brains of the adolescent sugar-diet rats also showed increased levels of inflammation in the hippocampus, disrupting learning and memory function. Inflammation in the brain can contribute to cognitive decline and dementia.
What effect does sugar have on learning?
- Sugar slows down the brain
A 2012 study on rats, conducted by researchers at UCLA, found that a diet high in fructose (that’s just another word for sugar) hinders learning and memory by literally slowing down the brain. The researchers found that rats who over-consumed fructose had damaged synaptic activity in the brain, meaning that communication among brain cells was impaired.
Heavy sugar intake caused the rats to develop a resistance to insulin — a hormone that controls blood sugar levels and also regulates the function of brain cells. Insulin strengthens the synaptic connections between brain cells, helping them to communicate better and thereby form stronger memories. So when insulin levels in the brain are lowered as the result of excess sugar consumption, cognition can be impaired.
- Sugar Decreases Attention Span and Memory
It’s been well documented that sugar activates the brain’s pleasure response, but scientists are discovering that it impacts the brain in a variety of other ways.
When people consume a lot of sugar and then attempt challenging tasks, like math problems, the brain’s hypothalamus allows the body to release a lot of cortisol, or stress hormone, which impedes memory. When children’s bodies are flooded with cortisol at school, they struggle to pay attention to their lessons and find it difficult to sit quietly. When their attention is elsewhere, they find it difficult to retain information they’re taught.
- Chronic Sugar Consumption Might Permanently Impair Memory Functions
In the short term, sugar consumption will only impair memory temporarily, so if children reduce their consumption, they should find that they can reach their actual academic potential. Some studies suggest that overindulging in sugar early may have a long-lasting effect.
Researchers from the University of Southern California fed adult and adolescent rats beverages with sugar levels comparable to that found in ordinary sodas. After a month, the adults showed normal brain function. However, the adolescent rats showed reduced memory and learning capacity. In addition to reduced memory levels, these rats also had inflamed hippocampi. This part of the brain is crucial for forming memories and organizing and storing memories.
If sugar can impact young rats in this way, what’s it doing to your child?
- Sugary Foods Crowd Out Brain Food
When sugar moves into the digestive tract, it sends a signal to the brain to tell the body that it’s full. So it makes sense that researchers from Pennsylvania State University have found that the more added sugar children consume, the less likely they are to eat healthy brain foods like grains, vegetables, fruits, and dairy products.
Sugar and moods in children
Extreme levels of sugar in children can cause interference with neurotransmitters responsible for keeping moods stable. This often leads to depression and anxiety in children. Moreover, high sugar levels can cause inflammation of cells in an area of the brain known as hippocampus. This area plays a critical role in organizing and storing memories as well as connecting senses and emotions to those memories.
While this is a topic that’s still controversial, sugar has an addictive effect on children and adults alike. Like drugs, sugar floods the brain with dopamine, a feel good chemical, thus interfering with normal functioning of the brain. A study conducted at Yale University found that simple sight of a milkshake activated the same reward centers of the brain as cocaine does with addicts. In fact, another study conducted in 2007 found that study subjects (rats) preferred sugar water to cocaine.
If you notice behavior changes or mood swings in your child, consider keeping a food journal. Track what they eat and when they exhibit concerning behavior. Try eliminating suspicious foods to see if the behavior changes. While food isn’t the cause of all behavioral issues and conditions, it’s important to make sure that your child is not suffering from something that can be easily remedied.
The teenage brain and sugar
The teenage brain undergoes major developmental changes in terms of structure and function. Brain-imaging studies show that the prefrontal cortex doesn’t fully mature until the early 20s. A major role of the prefrontal cortex is performing executive functions which encompasses behavioral control, attention and decision-making.
Excessive consumption of sugar during adolescence could derail normal brain maturation processes, and may alter normal development trajectories, leading to enduring behavioral predispositions.
Poor regulation of the prefrontal cortex during adolescence can explain the increased risk taking behaviors in teenagers, including dangerous driving, drug use, and binge drinking.
Changes in the brain caused by overconsumption of sugary foods during adolescence can manifest in later life as difficulty in experiencing reward. Research has shown male rats that drank sugar water during adolescence showed reduced motivation and enjoyment of rewards when they were adults. These behaviors are core features of mood disorders including depression. Importantly, this shows that how we eat during adolescence can impact brain function as adults.
How much sugar is OK?
Limiting your child’s sugar intake is essential for helping them achieve their academic potential. The American Heart Association recommends that children have no more than four teaspoons of sugar a day. Children younger than 2 years should have no sugar at all.
While calculating sugar intake, it’s important to note that every 4 grams of sugar equals 1 teaspoon. Also, be aware of the hidden sugars hiding in unexpected places like sauces, dried fruits, and flavored yogurts.
A recent study supports the idea that a breakfast with a lower sugar load may improve short-term memory and attention span at school. Giving your child a breakfast which contains fiber (oatmeal, shredded wheat, berries, bananas, whole-grain pancakes, etc.) instead of loads of refined sugar should keep adrenaline levels more constant and make the school day a more wondrous and productive experience. Packing her/his lunch box with delicious fiber-containing treats (whole-grain breads, peaches, grapes, a myriad of other fresh fruits, etc.) may turn afternoons at home into a delight.
References
- The Conversation (2016): Why sugar is so much worse for teenagers’ brains. Retrieved from
https://theconversation.com/why-sugar-is-so-much-worse-for-teenagers-brains-67238
- Arizona Ob Gyn Associates (2015): How Sugar Affects a Childs Brain. Retrieved from
- The Centre for Parenting Education (2019): Sugar and our children…What’s the deal? Retrieved from
- Huffpost (2015): This Is What Sugar Does To Your Brain. Retrieved from
- Verywell Mind (2017): Negative Impact of Sugar on the Brain. Retrieved from
https://www.verywellmind.com/how-sugar-affects-the-brain-4065218
- Learning Liftoff (2016): The Effects of Sugar on a Child’s Academic Performance. Retrieved from
https://www.learningliftoff.com/the-effects-of-sugar-on-a-childs-academic-performance/
- Dr Greene (2018): The Relationship between Sugar and Behavior in Children. Retrieved from
https://www.drgreene.com/relationship-sugar-behavior-children/
Important Points:
- Carnivore diet
- Withdrawal symptoms
- Cravings
- Adapting
- Meat
The Carnivore Diet: Starting Pointers
The carnivore diet – also known as the all meat diet or the carnivorous diet – entails eating almost nothing but meat for every meal, every day. That means a lot of protein, a lot of fat, and almost zero carbs. This rather drastic shift in eating patterns is bound to leave your body reeling, so let’s talk about whether there are adverse symptoms or not? How can you manage them? In this article we’ll take you through what you need to expect and the tips and tricks that will get you through them.
The Carnivore Diet Symptoms
You may experience significant symptoms when getting adapted to The Carnivore Diet.
Nearly everyone experiences adverse symptoms and side effects when they start the Carnivore Diet. The symptoms you experience are your body’s natural response to carbohydrate restriction and the elimination of addictive agents and chemicals.
Common Symptoms Include:
- Brain fog
- Headache
- Chills
- Sore throat
- Digestive issues
- Dizziness
- Irritability
- Bad breath/smells
- Bad taste in mouth (metallic)
- Dry mouth
- Cravings (sugar!)
- Muscle soreness
- Jaw soreness
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Poor focus and concentration
- Decreased performance, energy, and drive
- Cramping
- Rapid heart rate
- Insomnia
- Night sweats
- Nocturia (peeing a lot at night)
- Feeling hot or cold
If you are coming from a ketogenic (keto) or high fat/low carb diet (HFLC), the transition is generally easier (but there are still symptoms you need to understand!) than someone coming from a Standard American Diet that is high in carbohydrates. These symptoms are a result of your body undergoing significant metabolic and hormonal changes.
The 3 Major Adaptations
If you decide to start The Carnivore Diet, there are three major adaptations that your body is going to go through.
1. Fluid Rebalancing: Because you are eating fewer carbs, your insulin levels drop which sends a signal to the kidneys to release sodium from the body. Losing 10 lbs. of water in a couple days is not uncommon as water follows sodium out of the body.
Glycogen is then converted to glucose as the last energy usage before switching to mainly fatty acids.
2. Transitioning from Sugar to Fat for Energy
Your body will start switching from burning mainly sugar to fat for energy. Depending on your metabolic flexibility, you might have milder or more severe symptoms. Your metabolic flexibility is your body’s ability to adapt to different fuel sources, which depends on a number of factors including genetics, and especially your diet prior to this change. If you have been accustomed to eating a lot of high carbohydrate foods, it can feel a lot like going into withdrawal.
3. Hormone Response and Rebalancing
Some hormones in your body will respond to the diet by rebalancing, let’s look at thyroid and cortisol hormones. T3 thyroid hormone levels may decrease as T3, a hormone produced by the thyroid, is closely connected with dietary carbohydrates. It plays a major role in regulation of body temperature, metabolism, and heart rate.
Cures for the Carnivore Adaptation Symptoms
You can dramatically lessen and perhaps even eliminate most of the suffering in the “trough” by using some tricks to help bridge your body to the adapted state of bliss. Here are some tricks:
1. Eat more meat.
Under-eating is the number one reason people unnecessarily suffer.
Early on, it’s common to feel extremely hungry. As your body is getting used to the diet, eat, eat, and eat again. Do not try to restrict calories or track macros. Don’t worry about gaining fat.
2. Hydrate
Make sure you are drinking water. Do not overdo it as you will make the situation worse, but you need to stay hydrated. After adapting, you drink to thirst (no need to measure/monitor) but if you are feeling like crap during adaptation – make sure you are hydrating.
3. Electrolytes
Replenish your electrolytes. As you lose a lot of excess water, you also lose a lot of electrolytes: sodium, potassium, magnesium, chloride. Salt, used generously on your meat, is the first step. For some people, this may be adequate; other people need some help in the potassium and magnesium department as well though…
These are tricks that can help you replenish potassium and magnesium:
- Drink Meaty Bone Broth – In addition to water and sodium, this will give you some potassium which will offset some of the discomfort caused at a cellular level.
- It’s important that the bones have some meat on them because that’s where the potassium is.
- Supplement –
- Potassium K+: 500 – 3500 mg/day (start with 1g – K+ chloride)
- Magnesium Mg: 250-500 mg/day (magnesium citrate)
- Sodium Na: 2-7g/day (5g is a good starting point – I like this brand)
Solving GI Problems
Gastrointestinal (GI) issues are extremely common, especially if you are coming from a low-fat diet.
Your gallbladder and pancreas might not be ready to handle the increased fat intake, even if you are. When first starting, you may have inadequate bile and lipase to digest the increased fat intake leading to diarrhea and other kinds of GI distress.
To help manage this, you can reduce how much fat you’re eating by choosing leaner cuts of meat. A better solution is to supplement for 2-4 weeks. You could take some lipase supplement a few minutes before meals. You can start with one tablet and if you still have some discomfort take two.
If still having GI issues, especially, if they are GERD/acid reflux related, take a Betaine HCl supplement. Many people produce inadequate stomach acid to facilitate digestion and proper metabolic signaling. This is a main cause of GERD, Heartburn, Acid Reflux. Don’t take this supplement with anti-inflammatories as it could result in ulcers. It should automatically include pepsin in it, but check to make sure. Common dosage range between 3-5g/meal.
Important note: Supplements are a bridging strategy and not designed for long term use; the goal is to be off all of these after the first month. They are intended to allow your body catch up.
It might also be important to eliminate rendered fats as they could exacerbate the problem. It is normal to notice less frequent bowel movements as your body absorbs and uses meat very efficiently and not a lot goes to waste.
Sleep
Insomnia is common during adaptation, and since you are purging water, nocturia is also an interrupter. A few hacks that help:
Keep your room pitch black (blackout curtains, cover LEDs) and COOL
Start winding down 2 hours before bed (no screens or at the least put them in night mode)
- Don’t eat within a few hours of sleep if you can help it
- Be conscious how much you are drinking later in the day
- Be asleep before 11 (a cortisol spike happens if you are not asleep around this time)
Sweat
Sweating is a natural detox mechanism. Since you are finally giving your body the nutrition it has been craving, you give it the opportunity to expel toxins. Give your body a hand and help it detox by getting some exercise and sweating.
Killing cravings and addictions – “Brain Changes”
Besides the metabolic and hormonal changes mentioned, you may also experience alterations in what I call “Brain Changes” that occur along the “brain-body highway”, a signaling control system between the gut and the brain.
This communication highway influences everything from hormones to neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and GABA that play huge roles in mood, cravings, and addiction. Not unlike many drug addictions, you may go through withdrawal symptoms from foods or other substances (especially sugar) which you have become physically and neurologically addicted.
Cravings are common and the best solution is to make sure you are eating enough fatty meat. Not eating enough meat and eating meat that is too lean are the top mistakes.
You’re Ready to Start
Most people experience adaptation symptoms which can range from annoying to a certainty that you are going to die. I’ll be the first to admit that they aren’t all that pleasant, but with the above information to help identify and deal with them, your first attempt should be much easier. Yes, your bowel movements will change, and you will have some initial fatigue and brain fog, but in my opinion, the benefits certainly outweigh these temporary symptoms, especially if your goal is to lose weight fast.
Be committed, don’t let them deter you and give it a try.
References
- Meat Health (2018):The Carnivore Diet – Symptoms and Cures. Retrieved from
- Mike Fishbein(2019):The Carnivore Diet: How to Survive the First Month. Retrieved from
- Carnivore Style (2018): Carnivore Diet Side Effects
What Are the Symptoms, Risks & Dangers? Retrieved from
Important Points:
- Obesity
- Malnourished
- Nutrient intake
- Vitamin deficiency
- Starvation
Malnutrition is Both Obesity and Starvation
Malnutrition is a word we usually associate with the tragically thin figures from TV news reports of third world famines. In fact, it’s a shockingly common problem the world over. Though not at starvation level, there are millions of patients who aren’t getting sufficient calories, protein, vitamins, and minerals.
Doctors say our growing reliance on fast food coupled with mounting rates of binge-drinking means many people lack the vitamins and minerals essential for health. The result, in the most extreme cases, is pot-bellies, wasted limbs and emaciated bodies – all conditions more often associated with famine victims in the developing world. While malnutrition can be fatal, in more mild forms it can cause a host of symptoms that impact our everyday life, from hair loss and muscle wastage to food cravings and lethargy. It is possible to be obese and still be malnourished.
1. What is Malnutrition?
Malnutrition is a serious condition that occurs when a person’s diet doesn’t contain the right amount of nutrients. Malnutrition means “poor nutrition” and can refer to:
- undernutrition – when you don’t get enough nutrients
- overnutrition – when you get more nutrients than you need
2. Who is Affected by Malnutrition?
Malnutrition is a common health problem. There are an estimated 3 million malnourished people in the UK at any time, with many more at risk of becoming malnourished. Around one in three people admitted to hospital or care homes in the UK are found to be malnourished or at risk of malnourishment.
Malnutrition is caused by having an inadequate diet or a problem absorbing nutrients from food which can be caused by having reduced mobility, a long-term health condition, or a low income.
3. What are the Signs of Malnutrition?
The most common symptom of undernutrition is unintentional weight loss (losing 5-10% or more of your body weight over three to six months), and other signs include weak muscles, fatigue, low mood, and an increase in illnesses or infections.
The main sign of overnutrition is being overweight or obese, however, people with undernutrition can also be overweight if they eat a diet high in energy (calories) but low in other nutrients.
4. Malnutrition of Excess: Obesity
The number of people who are malnourished despite being obese is shocking, a leading weight loss surgeon has said today. A recent study showed despite high levels of obesity in the U.S., many people are undernourished.
A diet of pizza, fries, crisps, pasta, rice, biscuits, cakes leaves many people consuming a lot of calories but few nutrients, says Dr Sally Norton, an NHS consultant specializing in weight loss and upper gastrointestinal surgery.
Drug companies push the sales of expensive drugs which treat the symptoms of the disease but not the cause. The multi-million-dollar drug industry encourages doctors to treat type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease and other conditions related to poor nutrition with expensive drugs rather than healthier food.
Hippocrates, the father of medicine, was so right when he said, over 2,000 years ago: ‘let food be thy medicine’. And yet, fast-forward to the 21st century and a recent study of Americans shows that many Americans, despite their access to plenty of food, are undernourished.
5. Can obese people really be malnourished?
Picture a malnourished hospital patient…..
The person you’re imagining probably doesn’t weigh 300 pounds, does she? Yet obese patients can develop malnutrition, before or during hospitalization and have worse outcomes as a result.
In fact, according to a recent study, malnutrition counteracts the “obesity paradox,” which holds that, among the critically ill, heavier patients do better than normal- or underweight patients. Researchers who looked specifically at malnourished obese patients showed that they had a higher risk of mortality than well-nourished patients of similar body mass index, according to results published in the January issue of Critical Care Medicine.
Yet these patients’ nutritional deficiencies often pass under hospital clinicians’ radar, according to experts. “We as physicians don’t necessarily have a great handle on who is malnourished,” said Kenneth B. Christopher, MD, co-author of the study. “You can always tell if someone’s profoundly malnourished, because they start appearing to be cachectic, but it’s less severe degrees of malnutrition that are actually harder to see.”
In addition to judgments based on appearance, a number of other factors can make it difficult to diagnose or prevent malnutrition in obese inpatients, including shortcomings in history taking, limitations of lab testing, and challenges in nutrition delivery. According to experts, hospitalists can help correct these deficits by raising their own index of suspicion and working with the health care team to focus on patients’ nutritional status.
While malnutrition can be fatal, in more mild forms it can cause a host of symptoms that impact our everyday life. How many nutrients do you get in biscuits, pieces of cake, crisps, fries, pizza, white rice, pasta and bread? Not a whole lot. So, if you are eating these ‘nutrient deficient’ foods regularly, you should make sure to get nutrients from real, fresh, whole foods, too.
6. Diagnosing Malnutrition
Accurate screening for malnutrition begins with the recognition that you can’t see it with your eyes or even a scale. “Nutritional status is not body mass index,” summarized Dr. Christopher, who is a nephrologist and critical care specialist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. For one thing, excess weight may not represent body fat.
Obesity could also distract from recent weight loss, an important marker of malnutrition. “Somebody could be obese but have a gastrointestinal problem and have been losing weight. Even though they’ve lost a considerable amount of weight, they started off so obese that they’re still technically obese,” said Dr. Mechanick.
Because our society has so much stigma around overweight and obesity, when many obese people lose weight, however they lose it, they get more positive feedback,” said Charlene W. Compher, PhD, a professor of nutrition science at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. If a patient lost weight due to bariatric surgery, he is particularly at risk for malnutrition. “The odds of having vitamin deficiencies are very high with patients with gastric bypass, especially if they do not take all of the vitamin and mineral supplements that they are instructed to,” said Dr. Compher. And obese individual could be getting enough calories, but not enough protein or other nutrients due to an unhealthy diet.
7. How Can You Tell if You’re Malnourished?
“There’s no lab test for malnutrition,” said Dr. Kirkland. “People rely on albumin. It’s not helpful for malnutrition. Albumin just reflects the acuity of illness or the duration of malnutrition, but not the severity of it or the presence of it.”
Whatever your weight, ensure to always have well balanced healthy meals, with regular supplementation where necessary, as malnutrition could potentially lead to other chronic illnesses such as type 2 diabetes, heart issues and others.
References:
- International Journal of Obesity (2019): Overfed but undernourished: recognizing nutritional inadequacies/deficiencies in patients with overweight or obesity. Retrieved from
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41366-018-0143-9
- NCBI (2012): The Malnutrition of Obesity: Micronutrient Deficiencies That Promote Diabetes. Retrieved from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3313629/
- ACP Hospitalist (2015): Obesity and malnutrition are not mutually exclusive. Retrieved from
https://acphospitalist.org/archives/2015/02/nutrition.htm
- Critical Care Medicine (2015): The True Obesity Paradox
Obese and Malnourished? Retrieved from
- NHS Inform (2019): Malnutrition. Retrieved from
https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/nutritional/malnutrition
Important Points:
- Insulin price
- Diabetes
- Ration
Is there a solution to rising insulin prices?
The subject of the rising cost of insulin has been a contentious topic of debates about policies in the eyes of the public; however, the human struggle of patients trying to cope has been given less exposure. Patient struggles include hospitalization and even the death of those who tried rationing their insulin supply to make it last longer.
Aside from rationing, some patients resulted to decreasing their carbohydrate intake just to reduce their insulin dose, while others cut cost by reusing insulin needles and blood glucose test strips, all the risk of inaccurate measurements and infection.
Despite this alarming news, the exact number of people who died or were harmed because of these rationing practices is not known most likely because patients and family members are embarrassed about reporting.
Because of these difficulties, grassroots advocacies were formed including the campaign hashtag #Insulin4all under the support of UK nonprofits T1 and Pendsey Trust. Most of the supporters within #Insulin4all are very critical of those involved in making policies especially politicians. They go as far as accusing the pharmaceutical industry of making diabetics an underclass.
The alleged reason for the skyrocketing prices of insulin has been attributed to the monopoly of three companies with a choke hold on setting the price for insulin.
The theory behind preventing deaths from rationing is that having a more open communication between the patients and the clinician is the key. Many times, this conversation is limited due to patient’s feelings of failure, of not being seen as independent, of embarrassment about not being able to afford their own medication.
One foreseen consequence of the rising prices is the desire to go back to using older generation human insulins called NPH and Regular. This is inconvenient for the patient since it requires a syringe and a needle, and unlike modern prefilled doses that comes in pens, could result in the patient not getting the right dose or figuring out the right dosing schedule.
Given the problem stated above, the solution may lie in making laws. Some experts are a fan of transparent pricing in which drug companies are required to reveal detailed information on how prices for insulin are determined. Associations like the American Medical Association have strongly urged the US Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice to strictly monitor insulin pricing and to enforce actions when possible.
It is important to note that the brands Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, and Eli Lilly promised means and ways to remain affordable to the patients, but relying on corporate promises may not be the best solution to this serious problem either.
Diabetes Patients Beg, Ration Insulin in Deepening Crisis
Important Points:
- Soaps
- Triclosan
- Inflammation
- Colitis
Is the Triclosan used in products safe?
Triclosan, a common antimicrobial often used in making soaps, toothpaste, hand sanitizers, body washes and kitchenware, has been found to aggravate risk factors for gut inflammation and promote the development of colon cancer through the process of altering the gut microbiota according to a study in the journal, Science Translational Medicine. In their lab test, it was demonstrated that mice showed low-grade inflammation when given triclosan. After three weeks, the inflammation had developed into full-blown inflammatory bowel disease. After feeding the mice with the same amount of triclosan found in human blood concentration, the mice developed a condition called colitis, a colonic inflammation leading to bleeding, diarrhea, pain, and abdominal spasms. Besides this, triclosan was also shown to negatively affect the immune system of the mice.
Yet despite these effects, triclosan remains a widely used ingredient in cosmetics and sanitation. In fact, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, over 2,000 consumer products contain triclosan and about 75 percent of users whose urine was sampled showed the presence of the ingredient.
Studies like these are strong rationales on why there is now a global movement to ban triclosan from body use and to switch to safer antimicrobials free from harmful effects.
A common antimicrobial additive increases colonic inflammation and colitis-associated colon tumorigenesis in mice
http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/10/443/eaan4116
Urinary Concentrations of Triclosan in the U.S. Population: 2003–2004
A calorie in physics is the energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1 °C.
The calorie you see on a food package is actually a kilocalorie, or 1,000 calories, the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water 1 degree Celsius.
The original method used to determine calories in a given food directly measured the energy it produced. The food was placed in a sealed container surrounded by water, a bomb calorimeter. The food was completely burned and the resulting rise in water temperature was measured.
Important Points:
- whole grains
- refined grains
- Western dietary pattern
- diabetes
- obesity
Refined Grains: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
Flour is all around us and a temptation at every meal. Breakfast toast, bagels, cereal, and pancakes fill our tables. Lunch revolves around sandwiches, wraps, pasta and pizza. Refined grains have been vilified as one of the leadings causes of ill health. Is there any truth to this? Should we toss all refined grain products off our tables? We will have an in-depth look at the good, the bad, and the ugly of refined flour to give you a better understanding of the goodies on your plate.
What are Refined Grains?
Refined grain is the term used to refer to grains that are not whole, because they are missing one or more of their three key parts (bran, germ, or endosperm). White flour and white rice are refined grains, for instance, because both have had their bran and germ removed, leaving only the endosperm. Refining a grain removes about a quarter of the protein in a grain and half to two thirds or more of a score of nutrients, leaving the grain a mere shadow of its original self.
Further refining includes mixing, bleaching, and brominating; additionally, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and iron are often added back in to nutritionally enrich the product. Because the added nutrients represent a fraction of the nutrients removed, refined grains are considered nutritionally inferior to whole grains. However, for some grains the removal of fiber coupled with fine grinding results in a slightly higher availability of grain energy for use by the body.
Grain refining led to disastrous and widespread nutritional problems, like the deficiency diseases pelagra and beri-beri. In response, many governments recommended or required that refined grains be “enriched.”
The Good
The federal government’s 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that half your daily grain intake be from high-fiber whole-grain sources, foods like brown rice, oatmeal and whole-wheat bread. Nutritionists often exhort people to choose whole grains over refined ones whenever they can.
But according to one leading nutrition researcher, Julie Miller Jones, a professor emeritus at St. Catherine University, we shouldn’t be so eager to throw out refined grains altogether. Refined grains do have some benefits — namely, nutrients added to refined flours.
Since folic acid was added to bread, cereal and other grains in 1999, the rate of newborns with neural tube defects — a known consequence of folic acid deficiency — has decreased 46%. Additionally, important nutrients like copper and iron are more easily absorbed when eaten with refined grains. Whole grains are healthy because they’re so high in fiber, which Americans don’t get enough of, but that fiber also fast-tracks food through the digestive system, absorbing nutrients along the way.
The Bad
As our national appetite for flour has inched up, so has the incidence of diet-related ills, such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes. Coincidence? Many nutrition experts don’t think so. When they weigh the evidence linking food choices and disease, they see the white, dusty fingerprints of flour everywhere.
Flour started out as an ingenious fix to a vexing problem. Grass seeds were plentiful, but the tough outer shell (the husk) made the seeds difficult to chew and digest. Early humans outsmarted the seeds by grinding them between stones, crushing the outer layers to get at the goodness inside. The result — a coarse powder — was the first whole-grain flour.
The downside was spoilage. Crushing the germ released its oils, which quickly turned rancid when exposed to air. With the advent of industrial milling in the late 1800s, machines began filtering out the germ and pulverized the remaining endosperm into a fine, white powder that lasted on the shelf for months. And so all-purpose white flour was born — along with a host of health problems.
Beneath their rigid architecture, whole-kernel grains conceal an array of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and fiber. But when machines pulverize kernels into flour, even whole-grain flour, what’s left behind is a starchy powder capable of wreaking havoc on the body.
The Ugly
Overconsuming flour can lead to a number of problems in the body, including:
- Food Allergies/Intolerances. Gluten intolerance is a term that has become synonymous with the current generation. Wheat is one of the biggest dietary triggers of food allergies and intolerances. While the exact reason is unclear, many experts blame the higher gluten content of modern wheat varieties
- Blood-Sugar Spikes. The difference between a whole-kernel grain and a processed grain all boils down to the glycemic index, which is how quickly the body turns food into fuel, or glucose. Foods made with wheat flour are particularly damaging. A carbohydrate in wheat, called amylopectin A, is more easily converted to blood sugar than just about any other carbohydrate. Two slices of bread made with whole-wheat flour raise blood sugar higher than six teaspoons of table sugar and higher than many candy bars.
- Food Cravings. One of the biggest changes in modern wheat is that it contains a modified form of gliadin, a protein found in wheat gluten. Gliadin releases a feel-good effect in the brain by morphing into a substance that crosses the blood-brain barrier and binds onto the brain’s opiate receptors and makes you want to eat more.
- Caloric Overload. A refined grain packs more calories than a whole-kernel grain because it is more concentrated, and foods that are high in grains also tend to be high in sugar and industrialized fats. These foods contribute largely to obesity and the diabetes epidemic.
- Metabolic Slowdown. Research shows that the body may shift nutrients into fat storage and away from muscle burning in the presence of high-glycemic-index foods. In 2004, Ludwig and his colleagues at Harvard conducted a study, published in the journal Lancet, in which they fed rats diets with identical nutrients, except for the type of starch. By the end of the study, rats in both groups weighed roughly the same, but those eating a high-glycemic diet had 71 percent more fat than the low-glycemic-index group.
- Inflammation. A diet high in grains stokes inflammation. When blood sugar spikes, glucose builds up in the blood significantly. When glucose drifts in the blood, it attaches itself to nearby proteins resulting in a chemical reaction called glycation, a pro-inflammatory process that plays a role in a host of inflammatory diseases.
- GI Disorders. Studies show that the lectins in grains inflame the lining of the gut and create fissures between cells. Also, when whole-kernel grains are refined, 80 percent of the fiber is lost, and gut health suffers. Additionally, fiber helps sweep the gut of debris and supports the body’s critically important elimination and detoxification processes, which also play a role in keeping high cholesterol and inflammation at bay.
- Acid-Alkaline Imbalance. The body has an elaborate system of checks and balances to keep its pH level at a steady 7.4. A diet high in acidic foods, such as grains, forces the body to pull calcium from the bones to keep things on an even keel. When researchers looked at how the diets of more than 500 women affected their bone density, they found that a diet high in refined grains, among other nutrient-poor foods, was linked to bone loss. A highly acidic diet also chips away at our cellular vitality and immunity in ways that can make us vulnerable to chronic disease. Grains are the only plant foods that generate acidic byproducts. Wheat, in particular, is among the most potent sources of sulfuric acid, a powerful substance that quickly overcomes the neutralizing effects of alkaline bases.
The Bottom Line….
Grains are not essential, and there is no nutrient in there that you can’t get from other foods.
Important Points:
- Gut
- Bacteria
- Environmental conditions
Is our gut flora determined randomly?
With our growing understanding of the gut-brain axis, the relationship of intestinal flora and of our control center has been slowly revealing itself to be complex.
We now know that gut bacteria can influence our behavior and even determine what our disease risk. But despite these understandings, we are still learning what factors account for the individual differences humans have in terms of behavior and medical conditions.
Fortunately, the mystery of heterogeneity, the difference between individuals, can now be explained with a study done by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In their study, researchers set out to answer the question on why despite having the same diet and environmental exposure, humans still experience drastic differences within the species in terms of gut flora.
As it turns out, the answer is as random as the word random itself; the reason behind it is simply put, chance. In the study, the researchers used genetically identical worms fed the same diet and kept in the same environmental condition. However, despite strict controls, the worms developed distinct and different populations of bacteria in their gut. As it turns out, the population growth is determined by which bacteria is able to colonize the gut first and that the type of gut flora that grows depends on chance.
The researchers on the study were able to confirm this by ingeniously giving the worms marked with two fluorescent proteins of different colors. One red and the other green. Those who had been colonized first by the green marked bacteria developed a green gut population and those with red also developed that specific red population.
This confirms the theory that despite having generally similar diets and environmental exposure, the factor of chance plays a bigger role than we first thought.
Stochastic assembly produces heterogeneous communities in the Caenorhabditis elegans intestine
http://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.2000633
Important Points:
- Gut bacteria
- Microbiota
- Type 2 Diabetes
Is Diabetes linked to bacteria invading your colon?
The gut has been called by many scientists as the second brain. Our brain regulates the intricate functions of our body autonomously while we go about our business. The same goes for our gastrointestinal system. Our GI is not just an organ system dedicated to digestion and excretion; it is a highly specialized network of neurons lining our guts and a complicated collection of microscopic organisms that play a vital role in our mental state, emotions, and metabolism.
In a recent study conducted by the Georgia State University, the role of the gut was shown to have major significance in predisposing a person to type 2 diabetes. In the study, researchers from the Institute of Biomedical Sciences have discovered that when gut microbiota stays within the outer regions of the mucus lining, it has no significant negative effect on the person but when the gut microbiota encroaches upon the cells well beyond its designated area, it has been found to cause inflammation which can interfere with the normal functioning of the hormone insulin and thus leading to type 2 diabetes.
As of the moment, researchers are still conducting follow-up studies to isolate the specific bacteria that invade the lining and cause the inflammation that triggers the metabolic cascade into diabetes. Researchers are optimistic that when the bacteria are identified, it would pave the way in developing new treatments for type 2 diabetes.
Think Twice: How the Gut’s “Second Brain” Influences Mood and Well-Being
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/gut-second-brain/
Diabetes Linked To Bacteria Invading The Colon, Institute For Biomedical Sciences Study Finds
Calories in food and calories as measured in physics are not the same. Nutritional calories exclude non-digestible components, excluding dietary fiber and artificial sweeteners; both of which could be burned in a bomb calorimeter to generate heat.
Many of these human non-digestible components, like cellulose, are the primary energy source for other specie
Human calories are dependent upon the body’s ability to catabolize them, usually involving enzymatic action; rather than a high-temperature oxidation reaction.