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Animal Pharm: 'Roid Rage: Vitamin D3 - DO IT (Part I)
"Naturally, we are all mildly worried about the swine flu (the delayed 'flu' season). Taking Vitamin D will certainly provide several layers of protection for our family and hopefully avert potential complications. Studies show 36% of individuals who are Vitamin D deficient develop respiratory infections"
NephroPal: Vitamin D - summary of actions
"Below is a list of summary of actions of Vitamin D (Hormone D)"
NephroPal: Summer vs Winter mode
"My goal is to gather the basic science and apply it to nutrition - NUTRIGENOMICS. What do I mean? How does what we eat signal our genes in the nucleus. By our food choices, we are sending different signals to our genes. High carbohydrate and high fructose intake signals it is summer time and winter is coming -- grow and store the energy (insulin). High fat, low carbohydrate diet with calorie restriction signals our genes that winter is here -- use the stored energy, repair the genes, and slow down growth (i.e. Sirt1/Foxo pathway). The Sirt1/FoxO1 pathway is important as it aids in repairing DNA. Damaged DNA can lead to uncontrolled cellular replication (i.e. cancers). The immune system (phagocytes) has a mechanism to remove old and unwanted cells called apoptosis (cellular death). "
trialblog: Interview with Dr Uffe Ravnskov MD PhD
"Is High Cholesterol The Cause of Heart Disease? An Interview with Uffe Ravnskov M.D. PhD.
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Cooling Inflammation: anti-inflammatory diet
"Anti-inflammatory Diet
Components of an Anti-inflammatory Diet (focus on meats, fish, eggs and leafy vegetables)"
Hyperlipid: Physiological insulin resistance and palmitic acid again
"I like palmitic acid. It causes insulin resistance. Thank goodness.
Ted sent me this link. It's depressing.
I'm going to discuss a thought drug. I'm going to call it Palmitofake, and it can be developed by Pfizer, no, Fort Dodge. I particularly dislike FD for anaesthesia related reasons.
So what does Palmitofake do? BTW, if you didn't need any other hint you can tell this drug is going to bomb as there is neither an x, y or z in its name. Trust FD to screw up (in my mind).
Palmitofake is a fluoride substituted analogue of palmitic acid which irreversibly binds to the acyl-CoA interaction site of JNK1 and so inhibits the pathway by which palmitic acid keeps GLUT4 transporters off of the cell surface membrane, whole body-wide.
The logic to this is that the lipotoxin, palmitic acid (nature's second biggest mistake, the biggest was obviously cholesterol) can no longer keep glucose out of cells and metabolism can run, unimpaired by fat, for ever on glucose. Woo hoo bring on the glucose."
Whole Health Source: Palmitic Acid and Insulin Resistance: a New Paradigm
"We've been having an interesting discussion in the comments about a recently published paper by Dr. Stephen C. Benoit and colleagues (free full text). They showed that a butter-rich diet causes weight gain and insulin resistance in rats, compared to a low-fat diet or a diet based on olive oil. They published a thorough description of the diets' compositions, which is very much appreciated!
They went on to show that infusing palmitic acid (a 16-carbon saturated fat) directly into the brain of rats also caused insulin resistance relative to oleic acid (an 18-carbon monounsaturated fat, like in olive oil). Here's a representation of palmitic acid. The COOH end is the acid end, and the squiggly line is the fatty end. Thus it's called a "fatty acid", various forms of which are the fat currency of the body."
Animal Pharm: Palmitic Acid+ CARBS = Mouse Skeletal Muscle IR
"Peter at Hyperlipid and Stephan at Whole Health have dispelled yet again myths regarding the indictment of the 16:0 long-chained saturated fatty acid Palmitic Acid as the prime instigator of insulin resistance (IR). Researchers are always wrong -- it's... HIGH CARBS PLUS Palmitic acid.
Their brilliant posts discuss below:
--Sportzaid (FRUCTOSE) + Palmitate = IR RETARDNESS
--High Carb Lab Chow + Palmitate = IR in the brain
Yes. Such inferences applied to low carbers (LCers) is pure ridiculousness. Non-applicable.
Low/no carb + Palmitic Acid = GOOD THING. All the low-carb/high saturated fat (palmitic acid) and ketosis trials by Hays JH, Volek JS, and Krauss RM have shown reductions in blood insulin, blood glucoses (BG) and peripheral tissue insulin resistance (IR). Directly contrary to the high carb animal or human studies.
Palmitic acid has a special evolutionary, adaptive role in mammalian metabolism. Stephan showed that it likely 'fills in' when blood glucose starts to decline. "
Swine Flu Fish Oil Warning - healthyfellow.com
"I know what you may be thinking: “Fish oil?! I thought fish oil was supposed to be healthy! One day you say we should take it, now you’re saying it puts us at risk for Swine Flu?” Well, there is a reasonable answer, but it doesn’t come in the form of a simple “fish oil is good” or “fish oil is bad” kind of package. The truth is that eating fish and taking fish oil is very often extremely beneficial for a great number of health conditions. But there is no substance on Earth that is 100% healthy under every conceivable circumstance. Take water, for example. Drinking plenty of pure water is a healthful practice. On the other hand, drinking excessive amounts (water intoxication) can lead to serious bodily damage and even death.
The August issue of the Journal of Nutrition reports on a study conducted on two groups of mice fed either a fish oil or corn oil enriched diet. (4) All the mice were infected with the flu virus and were then examined over a two week period. Several interesting observations were made at the conclusion of the trial:
* The mice receiving the fish oil exhibited lower levels of lung tissue inflammation. This confirms the known anti-inflammatory activity of omega-3 fatty acids found in fish.
* However, these same mice suffered a “40% higher mortality rate”, a “70% higher lung viral load” and “a prolonged recovery period following infection”.
* The researchers also noted a decline in NK (natural killer) cells in the spleens of the mice that were fed fish oil and a decrease in CD8+ T cells. NK cells and cytotoxic T cells are vital players in the body’s ability to deal with infections."
The Diet-Heart Hypothesis: Subdividing Lipoproteins - Whole Health Source
The Diet-Heart Hypothesis: Subdividing Lipoproteins
Two posts ago, we made the rounds of the commonly measured blood lipids (total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides) and how they associate with cardiac risk. It's important to keep in mind that many things associate with cardiac risk, not just blood lipids. For example, men with low serum vitamin D are at a 2.4-fold greater risk of heart attack than men with higher D levels. That alone is roughly equivalent to the predictive power of the blood lipids you get measured at the doctor's office. Coronary calcium scans (a measure of blood vessel calcification) also associate with cardiac risk better than the most commonly measured blood lipids.
Lipoproteins Can be Subdivided into Several Subcategories
In the continual search for better measures of cardiac risk, researchers in the 1980s decided to break down lipoprotein particles into sub-categories. One of these researchers is Dr. Ronald M. Krauss. Krauss published extensively on the association between lipoprotein size and cardiac risk, eventually concluding (source):
The plasma lipoprotein profile accompanying a preponderance of small, dense LDL particles (specifically LDL-III) is associated with up to a threefold increase in the susceptibility of developing [coronary artery disease]. This has been demonstrated in case-control studies of myocardial infarction and angiographically documented coronary disease.
Krauss found that small, dense LDL (sdLDL) doesn't travel alone: it typically comes along with low HDL and high triglycerides*. He called this combination of factors "lipoprotein pattern B"; its opposite is "lipoprotein pattern A": large, buoyant LDL, high HDL and low triglycerides. Incidentally, low HDL and high triglycerides are hallmarks of the metabolic syndrome, the quintessential modern metabolic disorder.
Krauss and his colleagues went on to hypothesize that sdLDL promotes atherosclerosis because of its ability to penetrate the artery wall more easily than large LDL.
Sham vs. Wham: The Health Insider: Selenium Supplements and High Cholesterol
"New research study published in a peer-reviewed publication Nutrition indicates that selenium may be linked to higher cholesterol readings in those who supplement. This one may push it over the edge for me on taking selenium supplements . . .
Scientists at the University of Warwick Medical School said consuming too much selenium can have adverse effects. While it has strong antioxidant properties, and the above-mentioned perception that it can reduce cancer risks, there is now an apparently legitimate concern that higher quantities of selenium found in some supplements may be a bad thing.
The scientists reached this conclusion after examining the relationship between plasma selenium concentrations (levels of selenium in the blood) with blood lipids (fats in the blood). A cross-sectional study of the1042 participants in the 2000-2001 National Diet and Nutrition Survey (United Kingdom) revealed that among those with higher plasma selenium (more than 1.20 µmol/L) there was an increase in the average total cholesterol level of 8 per cent (0.39 mmol/L (i.e. 15.1 mg/dL). Researchers also found a 10 per cent increase in non-HDL cholesterol levels, which is the bad cholesterol most closely linked to heart disease."
Whole Health Source: Wheat is Invading China
"Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Wheat is Invading China
Dr. Michael Eades linked to an interesting study yesterday on his Health and Nutrition blog. It's entitled "Vegetable-Rich Food Pattern is Related to Obesity in China."
It's one of these epidemiological studies where they try to divide subjects into different categories of eating patterns and see how health problems associate with each one. They identified four patterns: the 'macho' diet high in meat and alcohol; the 'traditional' diet high in rice and vegetables; the 'sweet tooth' pattern high in cake, dairy and various drinks; and the 'vegetable rich' diet high in wheat, vegetables, fruit and tofu. The only pattern that associated with obesity was the vegetable-rich diet. The 25% of people eating closest to the vegetable-rich pattern were more than twice as likely to be obese as the 25% adhering the least.
The authors of the paper try to blame the increased obesity on a higher intake of vegetable oil from stir-frying the vegetables, but that explanation is juvenile and misleading. A cursory glance at table 3 reveals that the vegetable-eaters weren't eating any more fat than their thinner neighbors. Dr. Eades suggests that their higher carbohydrate intake (+10%) and higher calorie intake (+120 kcal/day) are responsible for the weight gain, but I wasn't satisfied with that explanation so I took a closer look.
Vitamin D Shows Heart Benefits in Study - Well Blog - NYTimes.com
"A new study suggests many Americans aren’t getting anywhere nearly enough of the vitamin, and it may be affecting their heart health.
In the study, researchers looked at tens of thousands of healthy adults 50 and older whose vitamin D levels had been measured during routine checkups. A majority, they found, were deficient in the vitamin. About two-thirds had less vitamin D in their bloodstreams than the authors considered healthy, and many were extremely deficient.
Less than two years later, the researchers found, those who had extremely low levels of the vitamin were almost twice as likely to have died or suffered a stroke than those with adequate amounts. They also had more coronary artery disease and were twice as likely to have developed heart failure.
The findings, which are being presented today at an American Heart Association conference in Orlando, don’t prove that lack of vitamin D causes heart disease; they only suggest a link between the two. "
Animal Pharm: 'Roid Rage: Vitamin D3 -- DO IT (Part II)
"Vitamin D is not just a sun-derived vitamin, but is a crucial steroid precursor that is transformed into one of the most potent hormones in the human body for strength, power, lung function and regulating gene expression in every organ system.
Athletes need Vitamin D.
Dr. Cannell has written quite extensively about the role of vitamin D in athletes"
ERA JUMP: Omega-3 fatty acids and plaque - The Heart Scan Blog
"The results of the uniquely-constructed ERA JUMP Study were just released, a fascinating study of the relationship of omega-3 fatty acids to coronary and carotid plaque.
The study adds insight into why the Japanese experience only one third of the heart attacks of Americans, and why Japan occupies the bottom of the list for least heart attacks among all developed countries.
The Electron-Beam Tomography, Risk Factor Assessment Among Japanese and U.S. Men in the Post-World War II Birth Cohort Study (ERA JUMP), a collaborative U.S.-Japanese effort, compared three groups of men:
-- 281 Japanese men living in Japan
-- 306 non-Japanese men living in the U.S. (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
-- 303 Japanese Americans (having both parents Japanese without “ethnic admixture”) living in Hawaii.
The last group represents a group that is genetically similar to the group in Japan, but exposed to an American diet and lifestyle.
Three main measures were compared:
-- Blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA)
-- Carotid intimal-medial thickness (CIMT, the thickness of the carotid artery lining that can serve as an index of body-wide atherosclerosis)
-- Coronary calcium (heart scan) scores."
High-dose fish oil for Lp(a) - The Heart Scan Blog
"Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), is a problem area in coronary plaque reversal.
While our current Track Your Plaque record holder for largest percentage reduction in heart scan score has Lp(a), it remains among the more troublesome lipoprotein patterns.
One unique treatment for Lp(a) is high-dose omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil. While the data are relatively meager, there is one solid study from Lp(a) expert, Dr. Santica Marcovina of the University of Washington, called "The Lugalawa Study."
In this unique set of observations, 1300 members of a Bantu tribe living in Tanzania were studied. What made this population unusual is the fact that two groups of Bantus lived under different circumstances. One group lived on Nyasa Lake (3rd largest lake in Africa and reputed to have the greatest number of species of fish of any lake in the world) and ate large quantities of freshwater fish providing up to 500 mg of omega-3s, EPA and DHA, per day. Another Bantu group lived away from the lake as farmers, eating a pure vegetarian diet without fish. "
The JELIS Trial - The Heart Scan Blog:
"The Japan eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) Lipid Intervention Study (JELIS) is a clinical trial that all Track Your Plaquers should know about.
This enormous trial followed a simple design:
Japanese men, between 40-75 years, and Japanese postmenopausal women aged <75 years with total cholesterol 250 mg/dl or greater were enrolled. A total of 18,645 subjects (mean age, 61 years; 31% male) participated: 36% had hypertension, 15% had diabetes, and 20% had coronary disease (history of heart attack or heart procedure). Average starting total cholesterol 275 mg/dl; LDL 180 mg/dl. All participants were treated with pravastatin 10 mg/day or simvastatin 5 mg/day; approximately half also received the omega-3, EPA, 1800 mg/day, in addition to one of the statin drugs.
Treatment resulted in an average LDL reduction of 26% in all participants; the group taking EPA experienced an additional 10% reduction in triglycerides. All major cardiovascular events were tracked and tabulated, including sudden cardiac death, fatal or nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), unstable angina pectoris, coronary artery bypass surgery, and coronary angioplasty. "
Vitamin D must be an oil-based capsule, a gel-cap, not a tablet. -The Heart Scan Blog
"Lisa is one of early success stories: a heart scan score of 447 in her early 40's, modest reduction of CT heart scan score three years ago.
However, Lisa had a difficult time locating oil-based vitamin D. There has, in fact, been a national run on vitamin D and I'm told that even manufacturers are scrambling to keep up with the booming demand. So, she bought tablets instead and was taking 3000 units per day.
She came in for a routine check. Lisa's 25-OH-vitamin D3: 17 ng/ml, signifying severe deficiency, the same as if she were taking nothing at all. (Recall that we aim for 50 ng/ml.)
In other words, vitamin D tablets do not work. It is shameful. I see numerous women taking calcium tablets with D--the vitamin D does not work. I've actually seen blood levels of zero on these preparations. "
Are we meat eaters or vegetarians? Part I | The Blog of Michael R. Eades, M.D.
"One of the problems – if it could be called a problem – in writing this blog and moderating the comments is most readers are pretty intelligent. Occasionally I have the angry vegetarian wander in, take me to task for my errant ways, and, after a comeback or two on my part, drift away to never be heard from again. Thanks to the confirmation bias, this blog pretty much selects against the non-meat eater. So, I tend to forget how many people there are out there who are pretty much clueless about basic nutrition, and how many people there are who bobble through life spouting cliches they’ve heard along the way as great nutritional truths. Based on the comments I get on this blog, it seems to me that most people are pretty nutritionally sophisticated and reasonable."
Are we meat eaters or vegetarians? Part II | The Blog of Michael R. Eades, M.D.
Meat eating made us human. The anthropological evidence strongly supports the idea that the addition of increasingly larger amounts of meat in the diet of our predecessors was essential in the evolution of the large human brain. Our large brains came at the metabolic expense of our guts, which shrank as our brains grew.
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