Archive for the ‘eggs’ Category

Meat Heavy Diets Raise Heart Disease and Cancer Risk

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

Saturated fats in foods such as bacon, sausage, beef, and eggs raise cholesterol, specifically LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol, which increases your risk of cardiovascular disease, so consuming meat heavy diets, even popular low-carb, weight-loss programs like Atkins, put your health at risk.

On the flipside, diets rich in fruits and vegetables have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL, or “good,” cholesterol, which decreases your risk of heart disease.

Nutrients found in plant heavy diets have also been reported to reduce cancer risk, while consuming a lot of animal products may heighten your likelihood of developing cancer.

And now new research in the Annals of Internal Medicine claims low-carb diet plans high in meat raise the risk cancer and heart disease, but low-carb diets comprised of plant goods decrease these health risks.

Two studies following 85,000 women and 44,500 men from 1980 and 2006 found men and women consuming a meat-based low-carb diet had a 23% higher risk of death, a 14% increased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, and were 28% more likely to die from cancer.

But a new version of Atkins, called “Eco-Atkins,” which incorporates vegetable-based fats and proteins, had a 20% reduce risk of dying, and a 23% lower death rate from heart disease. Study results on cancer were not explained.

Exercise also helps lower risk of cancer and heart disease.

Image credit: splorp

Posted in Atkins, Nutrition & Health, bacon, cancer, cholesterol, eggs, fruits & vegetables, heart disease, high cholesterol, low-carb | No Comments »

Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Cancer Risk

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

Our skin transforms ultraviolet light from the sun into vitamin D, and vitamin D helps our bodies absorb calcium.

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to rickets, osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, and a new study adds cancer and autoimmune disease to the list.

Published in the journal Genome Research, experts mapped out more than 200 genes directly influenced by vitamin D and found vitamin D deficiency is linked to autoimmune diseases like type-1 diabetes and Crohn’s disease, and cancers such as leukemia and colon cancer.

The researchers say vitamin D is essential in triggering the immune system’s T cells, which fight infections in the body. So a vitamin D deficiency leaves the body more vulnerable to sickness and disease.

While the optimal dose of vitamin D is still unclear, the scientists recommend people get at least 25 to 50 micrograms each day.

Food sources of vitamin D include fatty fish – like salmon, mackerel, sardines, and tuna – eggs, liver, mushrooms, and foods fortified with vitamins and minerals, such as milk, yogurt, bread, margarine, and some breakfast cereal.

Image credit: mommamia

Posted in Crohn's disease, Nutrition & Health, arthritis, calcium, cancer, cereal, colon cancer, eggs, fruits & vegetables, leukemia, milk & dairy, multiple sclerosis, rickets, seafood & fish, type-1 diabetes, vitamin d, vitamins & minerals | No Comments »

Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Cancer Risk

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

Our skin transforms ultraviolet light from the sun into vitamin D, and vitamin D helps our bodies absorb calcium.

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to rickets, osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, and a new study adds cancer and autoimmune disease to the list.

Published in the journal Genome Research, experts mapped out more than 200 genes directly influenced by vitamin D and found vitamin D deficiency is linked to autoimmune diseases like type-1 diabetes and Crohn’s disease, and cancers such as leukemia and colon cancer.

The researchers say vitamin D is essential in triggering the immune system’s T cells, which fight infections in the body. So a vitamin D deficiency leaves the body more vulnerable to sickness and disease.

While the optimal dose of vitamin D is still unclear, the scientists recommend people get at least 25 to 50 micrograms each day.

Food sources of vitamin D include fatty fish – like salmon, mackerel, sardines, and tuna – eggs, liver, mushrooms, and foods fortified with vitamins and minerals, such as milk, yogurt, bread, margarine, and some breakfast cereal.

Image credit: mommamia

Posted in Crohn's disease, Nutrition & Health, arthritis, calcium, cancer, cereal, colon cancer, eggs, fruits & vegetables, leukemia, milk & dairy, multiple sclerosis, rickets, seafood & fish, type-1 diabetes, vitamin d, vitamins & minerals | No Comments »

Depression and Cholesterol Link Varies Between Gender

Monday, August 2nd, 2010

Cholesterol is an important component of mammalian cell membranes, but high levels of LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol have long been associated with increased risk of heart disease and high blood pressure.

Food sources of LDL cholesterol are eggs, steak, bacon, butter, and other animal foods. Plant foods do not contain LDL cholesterol.

Depression is another condition linked to cholesterol levels. Some experts contend low cholesterol may be associated with an elevated risk of depression.

And now a new study, published in the journal Biological Psychiatry, found depression in women was linked to low levels of HDL, or “good,” cholesterol, which also raises people’s risk of cardiovascular disease.

Foods that increase HDL cholesterol include water soluble fibers found in fruits and vegetables, like beans, apples, grapes, and citrus fruits, and whole grains, such as oats, oat brain, and brown rice. Omega-3 fatty acids contained in avocados, flaxseed oil, and fish, like salmon and mackerel also raise HDL cholesterol.

The research, which involved elderly people, ages 65 and older, also discovered men were more likely to suffer depression if they had low levels of LDL cholesterol.

So the scientists recommend cholesterol levels be closely monitored among the elderly in order to prevent depression.

Image credit: TBSteve

Posted in Nutrition & Health, bacon, cholesterol, depression, eggs, fruits & vegetables, omega-3's, red meat, whole grains | No Comments »

Vitamin E May Help Cut Dementia Risk

Tuesday, July 13th, 2010

Losing your marbles when you get older might be a lot of fun. Who wouldn’t want to walk around all day with their pants on their head?

But it might not be fun for your family and friends, which is a big deal, because they’re the ones who will put you in the funny farm.

So then, if you’re not looking to go mental, consider what diet can do. A new study says vitamin E may help protect your brain.

Vitamin E can be found in foods like avocados, hazelnuts, and eggs.

Writing in the Archives of Neurology, scientists tracked 5,400 Dutch adults, age 55 and older, and found participants with the highest consumption of vitamin E had 25% less risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, over the next ten years than people with low intake of vitamin E.

Vitamin E is an antioxidant and researchers have begun to test whether antioxidants – like vitamin E, vitamin C, and beta-carotene – may help stave off the degeneration of brain cells as people age.

Other foods rich in vitamin E include almonds, wheat germ, seeds, milk, whole grains, spinach and other leafy green vegetables.

Image credit: Voxphoto

Posted in Alzheimer's & dementia, Nutrition & Health, eggs, fruits & vegetables, milk & dairy, nuts & seeds, vitamins & minerals | No Comments »

Eggs Don’t Raise Diabetes Risk

Monday, June 21st, 2010

Eggs are a pariah. They’re very high in cholesterol, and we all know that high cholesterol is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

But eggs are a good source protein, omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, and vitamin D; but they’re cholesterol content usually keeps them off people’s menus, especially individuals who have already suffered a heart attack.

And for many years it was believed consuming eggs also raised the risk of type-2 diabetes, but now a new study challenges that claim.

Writing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers determined eating eggs everyday was not associated with the development of type-2 diabetes.

For the study, scientists followed 3,898 men and women, at least 65 years old, already participating in a heart-related study, and at the end of 11 years only 313 people had type-2 diabetes.

So the researchers say consuming eggs occasionally or even daily did not contribute to the development of type-2 diabetes. Type-2 diabetes is largely a lifestyle disease; major risk factors are poor diet and lack of exercise.

Humans consume many different kinds of eggs, not just chicken eggs. In China, people eat salted duck eggs. The eggs are salted by soaking them in brine.

And in dive bars across the United States you can find a jar of pickled eggs, next to the pig knuckles and pretezels.

Image credit: Real Simple

Posted in Nutrition & Health, cholesterol, eggs, high cholesterol | No Comments »

Vitamin K Helps Reduce Diabetes Risk

Tuesday, June 1st, 2010

There are a lot of different types of vitamins out there, and we don’t have enough Flintstones characters to cover them all.

Most people know that vitamin C helps keep colds away. And maybe you read that vitamin D is good for building strong bones.  But what about vitamin K, ever heard of it? Probably not.

Vitamin K1, found in leafy green vegetables, and vitamin K2, in meat and eggs, have both been shown to reduce the risk of cancer, especially liver and prostate cancer.

And now, a new study in the journal Diabetes Care claims vitamin K may be linked to lower risk of diabetes.

Using a questionnaire to assess diets of 38,000 adults, researchers found individuals with higher intake of vitamin K1 or K2 were 20% less likely to develop type-2 diabetes, compared to people with low intake of vitamin K.

Both forms of the vitamin reduced diabetes risk, but results for vitamin K2 were achievable with a lower dose. The effect with vitamin K1 was not observed until higher levels of vitamin K1 were consumed, even after accounting for other lifestyle factors, such as age, bodyweight, and exercise habits.

In addition to being ingested, vitamin K can also be applied to the skin – usually in a cream – and is used to diminish bruising after cosmetic surgery or fading dark circles under the eyes.

Image credit: Vale Fresco

Posted in Nutrition & Health, eggs, fruits & vegetables, red meat, vitamins & minerals | No Comments »

Diet for Diabetes Effects Different Ethnicities Differently

Tuesday, January 5th, 2010

SKMaybe we’re not all the same after all–at least when it comes to diet and health.

Because new research claims meat and fat heavy diets for controlling diabetes actually raises the risk of diabetes, but the effect varies among ethnic groups and gender.

Writing in the journal Diabetes Care, experts found that Japanese and American women in the study had a higher risk of developing diabetes on a high fat diet than their Hawaiian counterparts.

Hawaiian women showed no strong association between a high fat diet and diabetes.

For the study, a high fat diet included things like meat, cheese, eggs, and refined grains.

Men did not fair so well. Men with the highest consumption of high fat foods were 40% more likely to get diabetes, even after considering other factors like age, weight and exercise habits.

And to make the whole issue even more confusing, diets rich in vegetables help protect Japanese and white men from diabetes, but not native Hawaiian men.

But despite the schizophrenic results, scientists still recommend consuming more fruits and vegetables than foods in the high fat group.

Via Reuters.

Image credit: Reading Country Club

Posted in Nutrition & Health, eggs, fruits & vegetables, saturated fats, type-2 diabetes | No Comments »