SHR

Diet and telomeres Telomeres are long stretches of a repeating nucleotide sequence (TTAGGG) located at the end of chromosomes that contribute to genome stability. They are very sensitive to cellular replication and become shorter each and every time DNA is replicated. Whether telomere length is a cause or consequence of biological aging is a matter of dispute, but there is little argument that it is a primary hallmark of aging. It is well-known that lifestyle factors influence longevity and the rate of aging, leading researchers from Spain to review the specific effects of diet on telomere length. Unfortunately, most studies relating nutritional data to telomere length are cross-sectional, thus presenting difficulties towards considering cause-effect relationships. Nonetheless, of the data that is available, nutrients and foods known to be beneficial or harmful for other age-related chronic diseases appear to have similar effects on telomere length. Generally speaking, caloric restriction appears to influence...

Oatmeal eaters weigh less and eat healthier There is plenty of experimental evidence documenting oatmeal’s health benefits, but little information is available on the contribution that oatmeal makes to the diets of Americans. As such, it was only a matter of time before employees of Quaker Oats used funding from PepsiCo to analyze the dietary data (NHANES) on over 22,000 American adults from 2001-2010. Only 5.9% of the population was oatmeal consumers, defined as those who consumed any amount of prepared oatmeal (oats in other foods like cookies, muffins, etc. were not included). Their average intake was just over 1 cup cooked per day (~250 grams), which provided 4 grams of dietary fiber. When graded on their adherence to the 2010 MyPlate dietary guidelines (HEI-2010), oatmeal consumers scored significantly higher (greater adherence) and had greater intakes of greens and beans, total fruit, whole fruit, whole grains, and seafood, and lower intakes...

Few companies would have a more vested interest in cocoa research than Mars, Inc. After all, they are ranked as America’s seventh largest private company with over $33 billion in revenue and five billion-dollar global brands – m&m’s, snickers, dove chocolate, milky way, and twix. It is therefore not surprising that they funded a recent publication in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition investigating the safety and efficiency of cocoa flavanol (CF) supplementation. Mars didn’t just fund the study though, they had four of the nine coauthors under their employment and they supplied the test materials. There is a huge conflict of interest here and strong potential for publication bias. This is why the results are all the more interesting – because they show that consuming high levels of CFs does not have any effect on healthy, middle-aged adults at a low-risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD; 10-year CVD risk of <2.5%)....

Imagine you are an otherwise healthy middle-aged, overweight-obese woman willing to make lifestyle changes necessary to lose weight. You’re motivated and have demonstrated that you know how to keep an accurate food log, but you have been weight stable for at least the past six months. You show up at a private weight-loss clinic that uses an integrated problem-solving approach towards weight loss. You meet biweekly with clinic staff to discuss behavior change strategies such as goal setting, self-monitoring, and physical activity, and you receive free resources to help on your journey, such as home booklets for recording dietary intake. The clinic’s goal is to enable weight loss of 7-10% of starting bodyweight over a 24-week period. Your diet program is individualized and designed to introduce a 500-1000 kcal deficit that leads to a weight loss of 1-2 pounds per week. You are also to gradually increase physical activity levels to...

Every time I read someone stating that acidic foods cause acid reflux it makes me cringe. Let’s get something straight here. Acid reflux is a result of the mechanical failure of the esophageal sphincter and not the content of acidic foods you’re eating. None of the foods you’re eating are higher in acidity than the normal content of hydrochloric acid in your stomach when you are in-between meals. The PH of your stomach, assuming its working properly, is between 1.5 and 3.5. That’s because hydrochloric acid by itself has a PH of 2.0. Some would have you believe that acidic food consumption is what creates the burning sensation in your stomach area. I say area for a reason. You’re NOT feeling the burning sensation in your stomach. Your stomach is designed to handle hydrochloric acid without any sensations. Your esophagus on the other hand is not and this is where the...