Eat Blueberries & Strawberries for Anthocyanins

A new study in the journal Circulation followed 93,600 women over 18 years. These women were followed-up every four years with information about their diet and this shows how you could reduce your risk of heart attack by 32 percent—naturally.1  Women are less likely to suffer from a heart attack then men. But when they do they are less likely to survive.2[ii] So take note…

Add blueberries and strawberries to your daily diet because these contain a specific subclass of flavonoids (antioxidants) called Anthocyanins. These Anthocyanins can actually dilate arteries. By dilating arteries, plaque can’t build up. This eliminates blockages.

Of course women still need to eat a balanced meal with vegetables, some fat and lots of lean protein. And they need to incorporate some sort of physical activity in their daily life.

The research shows, a handful of strawberries and blueberries may ward off what could be a fatal attack.

References: 1 http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/127/2/188

2 http://voices.yahoo.com/study-shows-blueberries-strawberries-could-reduce-11975192.html?cat=5

Fosamax, Boniva, Actonel

Fosamax, Boniva, Actonel and other bisphosphonate osteoporosis drugs have been shown to increase bone fracture risk when used for several years. Irony aside, that’s bad enough. Research from the British Medical Journal reports that extended bisphosphonate use (about five years) nearly DOUBLED the risk of esophageal cancer. If bisphosphonate pills aren’t swallowed properly, the esophagus becomes inflamed, setting the stage for cancer.

I prefer using natural supplements and recommending movement therapy for osteoporosis.

Sources:
“Exposure to Oral Bisphosphonates and Risk of Esophageal Cancer” Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 304, No. 6, 8/11/10, jama.ama-assn.org

“Oral bisphosphonates and risk of cancer of oesophagus, stomach, and colorectum: case-control analysis within a UK primary care cohort” British Medical Journal, Vol. 341, No. 4444, 9/2/10, bmj.com

More Benefits of Curcumin

Daily supplements of curcumin may benefit cardiovascular health to the same extent as exercise for postmenopausal women (data from a clinical trial conducted in Japan and published in the journal Nutrition Research Nov 2012).

Vascular health, as measured by flow-mediated dilation (FMD), improved equally in groups of women receiving the curcumin supplements and those receiving aerobic exercise training.

Another study, published recently in the British Journal of Nutrition indicated that decreased FMD is reported to be a predictor of future adverse cardiovascular events, with every one percent decrease in FMD associated with a 12% increase in risk.

I recommend regular ingestion of curcumin to my patients with spinal stenosis, numbness and tingling, spinal degeneration, and now with this report I’ll suggest it as a preventive measure against cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women. If a women can’t exercise curcumin is an alternative.

Curcumin has been linked to a range of health benefits, including potential protection against Alzheimer’s and protection against heart failure, diabetes and more.

The new study suggests that endothelial function may also be added to the list of potential benefits from curcumin.

Researchers from the University of Tsukuba recruited 32 post-menopausal women and assigned them to one of three groups: The first group acted as the controls, the second group underwent an aerobic exercise training regimen and the third group received a daily dose of 25 mg of curcumin.

The study lasted for eight weeks, after which the results showed that FMD increased significantly and equally by about 1.5% in both the exercise and curcumin groups, compared with no changes in the control group.

“The mechanism responsible for the curcumin-ingestion-induced improvement in endothelial function is unclear,” the researchers said.

“Curcumin exerts anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects by inhibiting tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), suggesting that its effect on endothelial function may be mediated by the suppression of inflammation and/or oxidative stress via down-regulation of TNF-alpha. However, TNF-alpha levels were not assessed in this study.

Vitamin K update

A study from Greece: For one year, a cohort of postmenopausal women drank milk. Some of the group drank milk fortified with calcium and vitamin D. Others drank milk further fortified with vitamins K1 and K2. Bone Mineral Density (BMD) increased in both groups. But only subjects in the K group had “significant” BMD increases in the lower spine. Vitamin K boosts levels of a protein your body requires to utilize calcium in bones.

Why drink the milk? Take supplements of calcium and vitamins D and K, you’re likely to get similar results. But using the K1 and K2 forms of the vitamin is essential. K3 is synthetic. It won’t produce the same benefits. Almost all of our K intake is K1. The primary sources are leafy green vegetables, broccoli, tomatoes, avocados, olive oil, whole wheat, and butter.

Vitamin D for older women

Older women with low levels of vitamin D, may be more likely to gain weight, a new study indicates.

Researchers from the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, OR said their findings are significant since most women aged 65 and older do not have enough vitamin D in their blood.

The researchers followed more than 4,600 women aged 65 and older over the course of nearly five years. The study found the women with low levels of vitamin D gained about two more pounds during that time than those with normal levels of the vitamin.

Low levels of vitamin D were found in 78% of the women. These women generally weighed several pounds more to begin with. In the group of women that did gain weight, those with insufficient vitamin D levels gained 18.5 pounds over five years. In comparison, the women with normal vitamin D levels gained 16.4 pounds during that time frame.

The author said “Nearly 80% of women in our study had insufficient levels of vitamin D”. Older women may need higher doses of vitamin D to keep their bones strong and prevent fractures.

Journal of Women’s Health.

Antioxidants May Reduce the Risk of Stroke in Women

Increasing the intake of antioxidants in the diet is associated with a reduced risk of stroke in women, according to a study, published in the journal Stroke. Antioxidants from fruits, vegetables and whole grains may lower the total risk of stroke among women with no history of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and hemorrhagic stroke in women with a history of heart problems.

Researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden said “Eating antioxidant-rich foods may reduce your risk of stroke by inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammation,” said Susanne Rautiainen, who led the study. “This means people should eat more foods such as fruits and vegetables that contribute to total antioxidant capacity.”

They found that women in the highest group of dietary antioxidant intake, and with no CVD, had a 17% lower risk of total stroke compared to those in the lowest group. Further, they reported that women with history of CVD in the highest three-quarters of antioxidant intake had up to a 57% lower risk of hemorrhagic stroke.

Fruits and vegetables contributed about 50% of antioxidant capacity in women with no history of heart disease who had the highest total antioxidant count. Other contributors included whole grains (18%), tea (16%) and chocolate (5%).

Reference: Stroke; Published online ahead of print.

Omega-3 supplements boost bone mineral density in older women

A joint U.S.-Iranian study says that combining exercise with omega-3 supplements may boost the bone mineral density in older women and reduce markers of inflammation.

A daily supplement of 1,000 mg omega-3s in combination with aerobic exercise was associated with increases in bone mineral density (BMD) of up to 19% in post-menopausal women, according to findings published in Nutrition & Metabolism.

In addition, markers of inflammation such as interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) were significantly reduced following 24 weeks of supplementation plus exercise, report researchers from Urmia University in Iran and the University of Missouri in the U.S.

These findings are significant for women at risk of osteoporosis, characterized by low bone mass, which leads to an increased risk of fractures, especially of the hips, spine and wrists. Women are four times more likely to develop osteoporosis than men.

Clients (especially post menopausal women) need to commit to the use of long-term omega-3 supplementation and aerobic exercise. 

Seventy-nine healthy post-menopausal women were recruited and randomly assigned to one of four groups: The first group acted as the control and did not receive supplements or an exercise plan; the second group received the exercise plan only; the third group received omega-3 supplements only (1,000 mg omega-3 per day, of which 180 mg was EPA and 120 mg was DHA); and the final group received both supplements and exercise.

The exercise plan involved walking and jogging three times a week at up to 65% of the maximum heart rate.

Twenty-four weeks later, and the researchers found that the combined omega-3/exercise group displayed BMD increases of 15% in the lower back and 19% in the neck of the thigh bone (femur) at the hip.

In addition, the combination group had decreased levels of the pro-inflammatory compounds IL-6 and TNF-alpha by 40% and 80% respectively.

I recommend Metagenics EPA-DHA 720 as part of your daily supplements.

Nutrition & Metabolism; 8(1):71, 2011

Candida Die-Off Symptoms

Menopause Nutrition – EstroFactors

Since 2000, two million women yearly have entered menopause. By 2015, 50% of women in the U.S. will be menopausal. Menopausal symptoms affect 80% of women with different presentations and intensity. Women experience these symptoms for months to years, while for some, symptoms can be life- long.

On a weekly basis I counsel women for menopausal concerns. While some women choose hormonal support, many women prefer to manage menopause with botanical and nutritional medicine. By far, hot flashes, night sweats and sleep disturbance are the most common complaint my patients feel negatively affect their energy, emotions and lifestyle.

I have found Black Cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) to be a very effective herb for managing hot flashes. In the past 2 decades, there has been more research done on the treatment of hot flashes with Black Cohosh than on any other herb. Consensus from research shows that Black Cohosh does help with the menopausal symptoms of hot flashes, sleep disturbance, muscle aches. The mechanism of action for Black Cohosh remains unclear, but research has shown, it doesn’t have phytoestrogenic effects on the pituitary, uterus or breast tissue.

Isoflavones and kudzu (Pueraria lobata) root extract are extremely effective.  As with any botanical formula, the quality of the herbs are critical to its effectiveness. I use Metagenics’s EstroFactors with my patients. The benefits of EstroFactors:

EstroFactors  includes

Other Ingredients: stearic acid, microcrystalline cellulose, calcium silicate, croscarmellose sodium, silica, magnesium stearate, coating (deionized water, microcrystalline cellulose, polyethylene glycol, and carrageenan).

 Some women feel better within a week. Women continue to take EstroFactors until their menopause symptoms resolve.

EstroFactors is an excellent choice for an alternative to hormone replacement for menopausal woman.

Protein Amounts During Pregnancy

I would like to know what amounts of protein are necessary for pregnant women? I have been eating the Paleo Diet since you introduced me to it. This is my first child. I am finding that my protein and fat requirements are significantly higher than what I usually eat.

Is there any research you could direct me to regarding protein requirements for pregnancy based on trimester?

Great question and I am thrilled you are prgnant! The bottom line is that you probably should increase your fat and carbohydrate consumption, and limit protein to about 20-25% of energy, as higher protein intakes than this may prove to be deleterious to mother and fetus for a variety of physiological reasons.

John Speth (an anthropologist) at the University of Michigan wrote a paper on protein aversion in hunter-gatherer women during pregnancy. Listed below is the abstract: (note the 25% protein energy ceiling!!!)

“During seasonal or inter-annual periods of food shortage and restricted total calorie intake, ethnographically and ethnohistorically documented human foragers, when possible, under-utilize foods that are high in protein, such as lean meat, in favour of foods with higher lipid or carbohydrate content. Nutritional studies suggest that one reason for this behaviour stems from the fact that pregnant women, particularly at times when their total calorie intake is marginal, may be constrained in the amount of energy they can safely derive from protein sources to levels below about 25% of total calories. Protein intakes above this threshold may affect pregnancy outcome through decreased mass at birth and increased perinatal morbidity and mortality…”

Pregnant women should include more carbohydrate and fat (i.e. fattier meats) in their diets and limit dietary protein to no more than 20-25% of their total caloric intake.