Never judge a study by it's headline

Here's my thoughts on the recent study and headlines concerning moods and low-carb diets.


Low-carb diets and moods: what the headlines aren't telling you

Would love to hear your thoughts on this, so please leave your comments here or on examiner.

Those simple carbs may be hurting your ticker

Photo source: lusi

Reprint from Examiner

Many people spend a good part of their days counting calories, limiting fat intake and exercising until they collapse from exhaustion. The reason for all this torture is to prevent heart disease and live a long, happy, healthy life. For most though, just putting yourself through all that nonsense is enough to make you wish yourself into an early grave. The saddest part is that studies are consistently showing that it’s not only unnecessary, but probably counterproductive. The standard American diet (SAD) is high-carb and low-fat in nature and has yet to be proven the most effective or the healthiest option.

A study conducted by Dr. Michael Shechter and colleagues, of the Leviev Heart Center in Israel, set out to learn the effects of a glycemic- index dietary carbohydrates on the arteries. To accomplish this they assessed 56 men on four separate mornings, one to two weeks apart. After an overnight fast, each subject was examined and then fed one four meals to gauge the effect of said meals to the arteries.

The meals consisted of cornflakes, glucose, high-fiber cereal and a placebo (water) and were served in a rotating randomized fashion so that the subjects received all four meal types. They found that fasting blood glucose levels were the same in all patients, but rose significantly after the glucose and cornflake meals compared to the high-fiber and placebo meal. The result shows that high-gylcemic carbohydrate consumption (AKA sugar, starches and other junk low-carbers avoid) may enhance the risk for cardiovascular disease.

(My notes: I would have loved to see this compared to say, bacon and eggs. I would have also loved to see this study continue for a while, with repeated meals to be sure results were accurate and not circumstantial. As you know, I like longer studies and more through research, but at least this is being looked into.)

Low-carb living can benefit those suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome

"Meat" your answer to IBS. HA! I kill me!

Reprint from Examiner

According to an article found on Modern Medicine, Gregory L. Austin, M.D., of the University of Colorado in Aurora, conducted a study involving 17 patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome. After following a two-week standard diet, the participants were then put on a four week very low carbohydrate diet, consisting of only 20 grams of carbohydrates a day.

The abstract shows that of the patients who completed the diet, which totaled 13, all responded with their results. 77% of the participants (10 of the 13) reported adequate relief of symptoms during the low-carb phase of their diet plans. (As someone who suffers from this malady, I can vouch that these results are accurate.) “Pain scores and quality-of-life measures significantly improved. Outcomes were independent of weight loss.” states the author. Their conclusion: “A VLCD provides adequate relief, and improves abdominal pain, stool habits, and quality of life in IBS-D.”

Visit the Mayo Clinic Website to learn more about Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Interesting tid-bits and the word LIKE

Hey everyone! I hope you had a fantastic Valentine's Weekend!

Today I thought I'd share some bits and pieces that caught my attention in the news. And then I have a story to tell you about that four letter word so many people use... like.

Let's look at the headlines first:

Britney's cousin Alli Sims assaulted with alcohol by film producer - So what does this have to do with low-carb? I asked myself that too when I saw the headline in my inbox. Turns out the drink he threw on her was a new Australian low-carb beer! Wow... I know you are all in awe of such news. Obviously many media outlets felt this was newsworthy though. I've seen this headline in several places. *SIGH* So glad the important stuff is getting covered.

Low-carb diet burns more excess liver fat than low-cal diet - Does this surprise anyone? Didn't think so. They keep posting these headlines like it's some miraculous new discovery. Low-carbers have known these things for years... but nobody has bothered to listen to us.

Controlling Type 2 Diabetes With Low-Carb Diets - Again, nothing new. But I'm glad to see that the media is finally starting to print the truth, instead of sensationalizing the myths.

After 24 weeks, their glycemic control was determined by a blood test that measured hemoglobin A1C, a standard test used to determine blood sugar control in patients with diabetes. Of those who completed the study, the volunteers in the low-carbohydrate diet group had greater improvements in hemoglobin A1C. Diabetes medications were reduced or eliminated in 95 percent of the low-carbohydrate volunteers, compared to 62 percent in the low-glycemic group. The low-carbohydrate diet also resulted in a greater reduction in weight.

This is just awesome and I hope more doctors open their eyes and see the facts that continue to stare them in the face. Which would you rather have - medication or a diet change. I'd vote for a diet change any day. And patients should have that choice.

Low-carb battles in your brain - More fantastic illumination from our beloved Dr. Mike. He helps explain why we sometimes struggle with sticking to our diets. It's a fascinating read that you don't want to miss!


AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT...


(Photo Source: http://www.intriguing.com/mp/pictures.php)

The word like. It's not a big word. It's not a fancy word. It is a four letter word, but then there are many of those, and this one isn't censorable. So why is this word so prevalent in some people's vocabulary? I'm going to tell you a story about something my hubby and I witnessed Saturday night. But instead of telling you this story the way I would normally tell it, I'll do it as if the subject of my story was telling it.

So, like, we went to our favorite, like, restaurant for Valentine's Day. Cause like, ya know, we like, wanted to celebrate. The place was like, packed and we like, had to wait for over, like, an hour or more to be, like, seated. We were tired of, like, being crammed in like sardines, so we like, headed to the bar to get something to like, drink. While standing at the bar, there was like, these two collage girls sharing a drink and like, talking about stuff. As some young people do, they like, were talking really, like, loud. So like, everyone in the bar area could like, hear their every word. And when you add, like, alcohol to like, a loud collage student, it like, really gets loud. And like, kind of like, obnoxious.

So she like, talks about all kinds of things, and, like, uses the word like so often that I start counting because ya know, it's like, funny! We stood there for probably like, 30 minutes or so and I like, counted part of that time, and like, I swear I heard the word like probably at least like, 100 times. It got so annoying that we like, left the bar and stood outside near, like, the tables. And like, about 15 minutes later, she like, left the bar area and went, like, outside. Then she like, came back in and like, ran right into me, cause she was ya know, like, drunk. Then she like, kept going without even saying, like, excuse me or even like, I'm sorry.
If I were like, a betting person, I'd like, lay money that she went to her dorm room and puked, if she like, made it there at all.

So like, hubby and I are talking about it later, and I, like, say Hey.. wouldn't it be, like, cra-hazy if some people, like, wrote like they, like, talked.

So now you like, know where I got the like, inspiration for this part of the like, post. Cause some like, drunk college student, like, has no idea how to properly like, use the English language.

If you made it through that entire story without wanting to hang yourself, I congratulate you on your strong constitution. Honestly, I fear most of you were like the people on the movie Airplane, who would rather die than listen to the entire stories. I know I couldn't get out of the bar fast enough. It went from amusing to nauseating after a matter of minutes.

Next time you are talking with a younger person, see if they use the word like too much. And if you are a younger person, forgive us old fogies who are driven crazy by this kind of thing. ;-)

Atkins legacy: weight loss, great health and attitude?

Check out my latest observations on junk science and low-carb at my examiner column. Leave a comment (here or there..) and tell me what you think!

Drive-By Blogging

Sorry. All I have time for today is a drive-by. I have a lot of work to do and a lot of schooling to catch up on. So here's the run down...

Must-Reads:

Tired of hearing the old "The Chinese aren't unhealthy and look at all the carbs they eat!!" mantra? Check out this study brought to our attention by Dr. Mike Eades. Then, as Dr. Mike suggests, keep this reference handy for the next time you encounter this question.

Is Candida or yeast sabotaging your weight loss efforts? If you are having problems losing weight, this very well could be the case. Check out this great blog post from my friend Jennier Eloff, author of several fabulous low-carb cookbooks (two of which I'll be reviewing soon). Be sure to check out her other great posts as well and leave her a comment! :)

Dr. John Briffa gives us more evidence that using BMI is just bunk when it comes to assessing health.


Ok.. all I have time for right now. Maybe I can sneak back in later with more.

HAPPY READING!!!

Researchers Study Flies, Find a Gene Controlled by Sugar and Protein

This interesting study, which I found on one of my favorite sites, Science Daily, was conducted by several researchers from Germany. They found a gene in flies that is controlled by protein and sugar.

Researchers have discovered a gene in flies whose activity rises and falls depending upon the amount of protein and sugar in the insects' diets. The findings, reported in the April issue of Cell Metabolism, might shed light on the way the insects' bodies--and perhaps those of humans too--handle dietary extremes, including high-protein, low-carb diets like the Atkins, according to the researchers. These findings are also yielding new clues about the links between diet and life span.

To see the original article in Cell Metabolism you can go here. I'm not going to pretend to understand this study completely. My first impression is that they believe that protein causes stimulation of this gene they call tobi (target of brain insulin) and sugar causes a decrease in function of said gene. They are indicating that over-stimulation of tobi, which by this logic would be caused by too much protein, will "cause severe growth defects and a decrease in body glycogen". They believe that flies who's tobi levels are lower are viable (fit to live and grow).

While it's nice to read articles, as in Science Daily, that explain the findings of such studies, I also highly recommend you find the original study and interpret it for yourself. Many times you'll find that the authors of these articles have interjected their personal beliefs towards the findings. Big media does it ALL the time. Just take a stroll around the internet and read the headlines. Many times they are overblown to grab your attention and make you read the article. More often than not you'll find something misquoted or taken out of context. (I'm not saying Science Daily did this... it's just an example.)

With this particular study, Science Daily gives no author but states the following:

Adapted from materials provided by Cell Press, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

This leaves no clue as to who compiled this article. But whoever they are, it seems as if they have slipped in some personal ideology. No where in the original did I find mention of "extreme diets" like Atkins. They compared protein and sugar. Yes, more protein and less sugar are some components of a low-carb lifestyle, but I fail to see how this is the same.

But I digress.

I found this study fascinating and will be watching to see if it scientists can find this same gene in humans. My only objection with their statements about the possible link between human genes and fly genes is that it's based on the theory of evolution. I prefer to build my scientific facts, not on theories, but on other facts. Again this is a personal conviction that you may not have. You may believe fully in evolution. (That's your right and I'm not here to argue that.)

"The current study indicates that proteins may have a greater effect than sugars on insulin signaling, and evidence is growing that quality and not only quantity of calories taken in has an influence on life span," the researchers said. "Therefore, teasing apart the relative contributions of dietary proteins and sugars in insulin signaling should prove insightful."

I've always said that quality is more important than the quality when it comes to calorie consumption. This is why I believe that a low-carb approach works so well for most people.

Again, I don't pretend to understand this research fully. I'd love to hear your thoughts and interpretations of this study. Maybe you can bring something out that others have missed. If you'd like to share your opinions we'd love to hear from you! Just leave a comment and we'll start a discussion. :0)

Another great read from Dr. Briffa

Once again Dr. Briffa has taken the time to share with us a fascinating study on abdominal obesity and dementia. There's nothing I can add to this that would be beneficial, so I'll just let you read it and enjoy. I will say that it makes me even more determined to take care of myself!

March of Dimes - March For Babies

Some of my long time readers may remember that last year my sister and I participated together in the March of Dimes Walk America Campaign. It's an amazing cause that has touched so many lives. As you will remember from this post, my daughter was born with heart problems and it was research, funded by organizations such as the March of Dimes, that helped us through it.

My daughter Rachel at just a day old.

But if that weren't reason enough, we also have another member of our family who was touched directly by organizations such as this.

Julian a couple of years ago at Christmas.

His name is Julian and I'm proud to announce he'll soon be my nephew. My sister Lana will be marrying his father, Chris, this fall. Julian is a spectacular kid. Very intelligent and loads of fun to be around. Julian is special. Not just because we love him, but because he's a walking miracle. You see, he was born 4 months premature weighing in a just over a pound. Here's a quote from Lana's MOD page:

Julian had many complications and as a result had surgery to help close a cardiac anomaly known as patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) and laser eye surgery due to retinopathy of prematurity (ROP)---both problems common to premature babies. He also had surgeries to repair Bilateral and Inguinal Hernias as well as procedures to alleviate cranial pressure due to hemorrhages.

When Julian was born (mid-term) the doctors gave him a 20% chance to live. They told his family that if he did make it through alive, he would certainly have one or more disabilities including cerebral palsy, blindness, deafness, mental retardation and other arrested development.

Julian was strong and was able overcome all the odds stacked against him. He has worked through his asthma by being active in soccer and swimming. Through ocular therapy, he was able to improve his vision to the point where he wears normal glasses (He’s looking forward to next year when he will be fitted with contacts). Chris is a proud father of a healthy teenager, Boy Scout, big brother, honor student and scholastic mentor.

Isn't that amazing! Thanks to caring people like you, the Julians and Rachels of this world have a chance at beating unbelievable odds. If you feel moved to help with this years walk, it would be appreciated by parents and family members all over the world. This year I'm unable to walk with my sister due to our recent move, but Lana will still be walking for this wonderful cause. This years event will take place at The Muny-St. Louis Forest Park on April 26th at 9 a.m. Please consider donating to her walk and supporting all the wonderful work that is being done. Someday you, or someone you love, may be touched by the very research you are helping fund with this years walk. Bless you all for your help!

Links Of Interest

Today I want to share with you a few links that I found to be informative.


Avoid Trans Fats
On the Victorville Daily Press website I found an interesting article about how to avoid trans fats. While most of us understand that trans fats are unhealthy, not everyone knows what to look for. I think the author of the piece, Dusting Bogle, does a nice job of summarizing this topic.


Low Carb Diets May Stop Prostate Cancer Growth
A recent study was conducted by Duke Prostate Center researchers to determine if reduction in insulin production possibly caused by fewer carbohydrates may stall tumor growth.

The researchers hypothesized that since serum insulin and a related substance known as insulin-like growth factor (IGF) had been linked with the growth of prostate tumors in earlier research in mice, a reduction in the body’s levels of these substances might slow tumor growth, Freedland said.

The researchers compared tumor growth in 75 mice that were eating either a low-carbohydrate diet, a low-fat but high-carbohydrate diet, or a Western diet, high in fat and carbohydrates.

The mice that ate a low-carbohydrate diet had the longest survival and smallest tumor size, Freedland said.

“Low-fat mice had shorter survival and larger tumors while mice on the Western diet had the worst survival and biggest tumors,” he said. “In addition, though both the low-carb and low-fat mice had lower levels of insulin, only the low-carb mice had lower levels of the form of IGF capable of stimulating tumor growth.”

The low-carbohydrate diet definitely had the most significant effect on tumor growth and survival, he said.

Sounds fantastic! You can read the rest of the article here.


Low-Carb Diets Better Than Low-Fat Diets at Preventing Diabetes
Another study showing the benefits of low-carb dieting, which was lead by Thomas Halton.

Junk Science Runs Amok

I've seen so many stupid headlines this morning that I'm not even sure where to start. So I guess I'll just pick one and go with it.

How about this article on a website called ThirdAge. Initially I was just going ignore this piece of propaganda. It's just the same old thing we always hear. Atkins is bad for your heart, blah, blah, blah. But the last couple of paragraphs had me duct taping my head to prevent it from exploding, so I had to share at least that part.

Supposedly there was a recent study done by the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore that concluded that the Atkins diet puts you at higher risk for heart disease after only one month. I say supposedly because they never actually provide the name of the study... or even a link to it.

Here's the part that caught my attention:

The Maryland researchers didn't let study participants actually lose weight for the study on diet's impact on heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States, because they said benefits of weight loss might initially mask other risk factors.

For the study, 18 healthy adults followed each of the low-carb diets for a month with a month on their normal diets in between. The Atkins diet, where 50 percent of calories come from fat, increased levels of bad LDL cholesterol. It had a negative impact on blood vessel dilation, which can cause increased blood pressure. It also produced an increase in markers for inflammation, which is a gauge of a potential heart attack.

The parts I put in bold might as well had flashing neon signs around them when I first read them. So I'm assuming since they didn't want the participants of this study to lose weight, they kept their carbs high enough to keep them out of ketosis. They never tell us what the percentage of carbs/fat/protein are. If they didn't apply Atkins the way it was meant to be utilized, that would affect the outcome of the study tremendously. Who's to say that the participants weren't given a diet of 100 carbs or more (which is still low by American standards)? How do we know the carbs used in the menu planning weren't junk carbs? Sorry, I need more evidence to convince me they even tried to be objective here.

The second red flag was the fact that they were having people alternate their old diets with the Atkins diet every other month. How in the world do they expect to see results this way? Who's hair-brained idea was that? Blood lipids don't change over night. It takes time. Essentially they were using Atkins and improving lipid profiles, only to turn around the next month and undo all that was staring to change for the better. Then back to Atkins, then back to SAD (Standard American Diet). Do you see the idiocy of this? It makes absolutely no sense.

Then they insist that it raises bad LDL, blood pressure, and inflammation. This runs contradictory to every person I know who has had their lipid profile checked after the first few months on Atkins. I don't know a single, solitary person who has had these results when properly following the Atkins diet, and I know a LOT of people doing Atkins.

Added: I just did a search on "diets impact on heart disease study" and found the study on the University of Maryland Medical Center website. They give a bit more detail than the above article:

It turns out they had the participants, which were 9 women and 9 men, try one of three diets for a month, then go on their regular diet for a month, then try one of the two remaining diets, then again on their regular diet, then try the last diet. If their weight fluctuated more than two pounds in their weekly weigh-ins, they then adjusted the diet to stop the weight loss. (Again they had to have made modifications to the Atkins diet... Most people lose more than two lbs the first week!)

From the UMMC website:

The researchers used blood tests to determine levels of blood fats, including cholesterol, and markers for inflammation. They used ultrasound equipment to measure whether blood vessels dilated after a month on each diet, which is a healthy response, or whether the vessels constricted, an unhealthy response.

Ok. Pop quiz! Who can tell me what's wrong with this picture? They are still testing cholesterol. Cholesterol has no effect on heart health. Studies have never proven they do, yet they keep beating this dead horse.

Then there is always my favorite remark such as this:

Dr. Miller adds that many people on the Atkins Diet cannot stick to it, so the weight starts coming back. Because of that diet’s tendency for inflammation, he says weight gain on Atkins could be a double whammy.

Again, I know a lot of people who are sticking to the Atkins diet. Many of them have been doing it for years and not one of them have keeled over with a heart attack. In fact, they are in the best health of their lives! And does this statement imply that a low-fat diet is easier to stick to? I personally know more people, that have quit low-fat dieting, than I can count.

There are a few others articles of junk science I could share, but we'll save those for later. Comments anyone?

Bet the media hasn't told you this....

I'm currently in chapter 4 of Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes. This has so far been an amazing book. Some of my suspicions have been confirmed, as well as some of my worst fears. Then there are other things I didn't dare dream could have taken place, yet they have. It's just wild how little evidence and REAL scientific research went into today's dietary recommendations. It seems to be founded more on politics and a couple of researchers who were determined to make a name for themselves regardless of the long term consequences.

As I was reading this morning, I found a particular point that I felt I should share here. If you aren't currently reading this book, then you'll see why it's causing such a ruckus.

In chapter 4 Mr. Taubes gives us a backstage pass into the consensus that the dietary fat controversy was over. Low-fat was declared the winner and no one dared challenge that thinking for fear of losing their research funding. To quote the book "It was no longer about the validity of the underlying science, which was no less ambiguous than ever, but about whether Americans should be eating low-fat diets or very low-fat diets."

Here's the part that many people may never find out without reading this book: Low-fat diets were being recommended for an entire nation and had only been tested twice. That's right, twice. Once in Hungary and once in Britain, which the subjects only consisted of a few hundred middle-aged men who had already suffered heart attacks. The results of both of these trials were contradictory. Other trials since have been exclusively cholesterol-lowering diets that replaced saturated fats with unsaturated fats.

Even more surprising is the fact that lowering cholesterol to extend your life is not as beneficial as the researchers would like us to think. A UCSF study, led by Warren Browner, was funded by the Surgeon General's office. " This study concluded that cutting fat consumption in America would delay forty-two thousand deaths each year, but the average life expectancy would increase by only three or four months. To be precise, a man who might otherwise die at sixty-five could expect to live an extra month if he avoided saturated fats for his entire adult life." Amazing isn't it? To eat a low-fat diet and only extend your life for a month?!? Doesn't sell the point very well, does it. If you want to reduce your saturated fats to 8 percent of all calories it would allow you an increase of four days to two months. Makes you wanna go right out and fill the fridge with fat-free foods! Yeah. Right.

I could also go into how lowering cholesterol provides little benefit, which they knew as well. But we'll stop here for today.

So there you have it. News about low-fat diets the media will not share with you. As always, and in all things, it pays to be your own investigator and advocate.

High-fat diets and Cancer

I promise this isn't one of those posts that start linking red-meat as the cause of cancer. :0) It's actually quite the opposite!

I just read this exciting article titled Can a High-Fat Diet Beat Cancer?

From the article:

Since early 2007, Dr. Melanie Schmidt and biologist Ulrike Kämmerer, both at the Würzburg hospital, have been enrolling cancer patients in a Phase I clinical study of a most unexpected medication: fat. Their trial puts patients on a so-called ketogenic diet, which eliminates almost all carbohydrates, including sugar, and provides energy only from high-quality plant oils, such as hempseed and linseed oil, and protein from soy and animal products.

The next sentence has me rolling my eyes...

What sounds like yet another version of the Atkins craze is actually based on scientific evidence that dates back more than 80 years.

Uh.. excuse me? This is not another version of the "Atkins craze" This basically IS Atkins!!! Granted, Atkins doesn't use plant oils in place of actual veggies, but you see the connection here. Don't you just love it when journalists throw this kind of rhetoric in?

The rest of the article is very interesting and certainly renews my determination for me and my family to avoid high-carb, sugar-laden foods. And the good news is that it sounds like the research on this will not stop here! Others are jumping on the bandwagon and investigating the possible benefits that cancer patients can receive from low-carb high-fat diets. While I'm not surprised at their findings, I'm certainly glad to see that others are taking a second look. It looks like we may actually getting the message out there! So let's keep spreading the word! :0)

A few good reads for today....

Weight loss

First a quick update: I'm down another lb, which leaves only a lb to go before I'm back at 161.4. Curse those chips!

We had dinner with friends last night and they started asking me about my diet. I explained how low-carb works, etc. They didn't look sold when I was finished, but I know the results I'm having speak for themselves. About 9:30 last night they called me from a Wal-Mart Super Center asking me what they should buy to start the diet. :0)

I gave them a quick rundown and told them I'd bring them my copy of DANDR (Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution) and some copies of my favorite recipes. Keep your fingers crossed that they can get through the induction phase, which is the hardest part.


Links

Today will be another busy day, so I thought I'd just share a few articles of interest. I don't have time to give my detailed thoughts on them as I'd like to, so just read and enjoy. And feel free to leave any thoughts you have on these articles in the comment box!

"Good Carbs" Yield New Found Benefits
Again, nothing new under the sun...

More Evidence Favors Low-Carb Diets
My favorite quote from the above article:

Taken as a whole, the evidence suggests that carb-control offers considerable potential as a weapon in the battle of the bulge.

Amen Dr. Briffa!

After reading this article I decided to look at his blog: Dr. Briffa - A good look at health

I don't the time today to read in detail, but I'll definitely be going back to see what he has to say. It does look promising! I'll let you know my thoughts on this blog in a future post.

"Healthy" Foods May Not Be
I think I've posted this before, but the warning bears repeating. Do more than look at the nutrition labels... read the ingredients labels as well! (No that can't "fix" this problem, but it will help you spot those things that just don't seem to add up. You can also use the hidden carb calculator on my site to check things out.)


Words of Wisdom

A photographic memory is of no use if it's never developed.

OK.. I need to get busy. Have a great day