Red Meat Consumption Doubles Risk of Diabetes

Health-minded adults have been wary of excessive red meat consumption and most avoid any type of processed meats due to the highly carcinogenic nitrite content. Additives used to add taste, cure and prolong shelf life of classic foods such as hot dogs, bologna and sausage not only cause cancer but are now shown to more than double the risk of developing diabetes.

Publishing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers found that a 50 gram daily serving of processed meat (equivalent to one hot dog or two strips of bacon) was associated with doubled risk of developing diabetes. They also found that protein from other sources such as nuts, seeds and whole grains will have the reverse effect.

Red and Processed Meats Shown to Double Diabetes Risk Factor

Researchers followed 37,083 men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, 79,570 women in the Nurses’ Health Study, and 87,504 women in the Nurses’ Health Study II. Diet was assessed by validated food-frequency questionnaires, and data were updated every four years. Type II diabetes diagnosis was confirmed by a validated supplementary questionnaire. In addition the study included data from a total cohort of more than 442,000 participants to make this the largest study to examine the effect of specific food types on diabetes development and progression.

After all collected data was analyzed with adjustments for age, body mass index (BMI), and other lifestyle and dietary risk factors, researchers found that consumption of 100 grams of unprocessed red meat (about the size of a deck of cards) increased the risk of developing Type II diabetes by 19%. A diet that included only half that amount of processed meats was associated with a 51% increase in diabetes incidence.

Substituting Healthy Proteins from Nuts and Seeds Lowers Diabetes Risk

Most health professionals believe that diabetes risk is linked to increased intake of refined carbohydrates and sugars. While this may be true, it is important to understand that red and processed meats play a significant role in development of the metabolic disorder, likely due to the increased digestive load placed on the pancreas.

Study authors also found that troubling risk factors can be neutralized or even reversed by substituting healthy protein from nuts, seeds, fish and beans for red and processed meats. Senior research author Dr. An Pan found that “for an individual who eats one daily serving of red meat, substituting one serving of nuts per day was associated with a 21% lower risk of type 2 diabetes; substituting low-fat dairy, a 17% lower risk; and substituting whole grains, a 23% lower risk.”

Many health-minded individuals already limit consumption of red and processed meats. The conclusion of this meta-study drives home the importance of severely restricting red meat and totally eliminating processed meats in favor of healthy proteins to lower diabetes risk factors.

Alpha Lipoic Acid Boosts Cellular Energy and Regenerates Mitochondria Function

Mitochondria are the small powerhouse organelles that control the energy output for each of the trillions of cells that function synergistically within the human body. Every cell houses dozens to hundreds of mitochondria, depending on the particular function and energy requirement of the component organ. More than 85% of the oxygen contained in every breath is consumed by these tiny energy producers, so it is easy to understand how low mitochondrial function typically seen with aging can lead to low energy levels and ultimately cellular death.

Cutting edge research published in the Journal of Nucleic Acids and Metabolism furnishes details to explain that the naturally occurring antioxidant alpha lipoic acid can significantly reduce mitochondrial decay and boost energy levels to improve longevity parameters in aging humans.

Alpha Lipoic Acid Reduces Free Radical Stress and Improves Energy Production

Since the early 1970`s scientists have proposed and validated the `mitochondrial theory of aging` that demonstrates how a lifetime of accumulated damage to mitochondrial DNA leads to increased free radical stress and lowered cellular energy production and chronic disease. Researchers examined aging mice that were broken into two groups, one supplemented with alpha lipoic acid in their drinking water and the other a control group, for a period of 30 days. Both groups were tested for metabolic functions relating to glucose metabolism, energy production and antioxidant status.

Authors of the study found that the alpha lipoic acid supplemented group experienced mitochondrial biogenesis, a process that rejuvenates and replaces damaged and aging mitochondria. Prior bodies of research postulated that mitochondrial regeneration and genesis were not possible and cell death was always the final result of mitochondrial dysfunction. Through a very intricate metabolic process, lipoic acid supplementation was found to improve body composition, glucose tolerance, and energy expenditure in the aged mice.

Alpha Lipoic Acid May Aid Weight Management and Improve Insulin Control

Researchers noted this was the first time a natural compound was able to effectively revitalize mitochondria in aging cells, and concluded that alpha lipoic acid supplementation “increases lean mass loss possibly by suppressing protein synthesis in the skeletal muscle by down-regulating the mTOR signaling pathway. Thus, lipoic acid may be a promising supplement for treatment of obesity and/or insulin resistance in older patients.”

Subsequently, research conducted by Dr. Bruce Ames found that combining the bioactive `R` isomer of lipoic acid and acetyl-l-carnitine decreases oxidative damage leading to mitochondrial decay and may help prevent degenerative diseases of aging including cancer, cognitive decline (dementia) and diabetes while restoring the vital energy needed to live an active lifestyle. Nutrition experts recommend supplementing with `R` alpha-lipoic acid (100 – 300 mg daily) and acetyl-l-carnitine (1000 mg daily) to restore energy levels lost to mitochondrial decline.

Vitamin D Blood Level Critical to Prevent Most Chronic Diseases

Prominent research studies continue to extol the virtues of maintaining proper levels of critical nutrients such as vitamin D throughout life to prevent most diseases that plaque western cultures. Publishing in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition scientists found that by simply raising the low end of the vitamin D blood saturation range (from 30 ng/mL to 44 ng/mL), all-cause mortality could be reduced by 7.6% to 17.3% for most women.

This supports the extensive body of work published by Dr. Bruce Ames that explains low nutritional status through life results in the development of diseases including heart disease, cancer, diabetes and dementia. A high quality multi-vitamin taken daily can provide a broad range of protection against a host of chronic illnesses.

Lower All-Cause Mortality Up to 20% for Pennies a Day

If you found out that you could lower your risk of dying by as much as 20% simply by increasing vitamin D intake, would you be willing to make the change? For most people this would mean taking an additional 1500 IU of the sunshine vitamin at a daily cost of $.03. While some people can benefit directly from sun exposure, aging adults (over 50), those in Northern climates and dark-skinned individuals will need to take an oil based supplement and monitor blood levels to ensure optimal protection.

You won`t hear about results that show that increasing vitamin D intake or other essential nutrients can significantly lower your risk for developing chronic disease. The scientists performing this study on European women found “Increasing serum 25(OH)D levels is the most cost-effective way to reduce global mortality rates, as the cost of vitamin D is very low and there are few adverse effects from oral intake and/or frequent moderate UVB irradiance with sufficient body surface area exposed.”

Triage Theory Explains Long Term Nutritional Deficiency Leads to Early Death

Dr. Bruce Ames has been studying the long term effect of poor nutrition on health for more than 30 years and proposed the triage theory in 2006. The theory explains how long-term deficiency in nutrients such as vitamin D and K increase genetic mutations over time and cause diseases associated with aging like cancer, heart disease, and dementia.

Dr. Ames explains that his research demonstrates that nutritional deficiencies over the course of decades (and even short term deficits in the case of vitamin D) cause the body to promote metabolic processes that support short term survival and reproduction. Long term maintenance goals that effect repair and regeneration of genetic material including chromosomes and DNA are allowed to go unattended when adequate nutrients are lacking in cellular stores.

Very few health-minded individuals would argue against the virtue of a well-balanced and unrefined diet centered on a colorful array of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and legumes. Most children and adults will want to ensure optimal intake of vitamins, minerals, fats and amino acids through a sensible approach to diet and taking a high quality whole food based multi-vitamin each day.

Altering Lifestyle Habits Halt Brain Shrinkage and Cognitive Decline

The result of a new study published in the journal Neurology (the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology) has found that poor lifestyle habits and related health disorders such as smoking, overweight and obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure cause brain shrinkage and cognitive decline.

Researchers determined that these conditions when present during middle age predicated lower brain volume and precursor markers for dementia up to a decade later. Identifying and controlling these risk factors early is a critical step in preventing loss of cognitive function and memory in later life.

Detrimental Lifestyle Practices Directly Impact Brain Health

To conduct the study, researchers examined a cohort of 1,352 people with an average age of 54 from the Framingham Offspring Study. The participants were weighed and body mass index and waist circumference were established along with blood pressure and cholesterol tests and blood glucose readings to detect for diabetes. Additionally, MRI brain scans were completed over the course of a decade with the first test performed seven years after the original biomarker benchmark.

Researchers found that those participants with high blood pressure developed a condition identified as `white matter `hyperintensities` or small areas of damage to the delicate vessel structure of the brain. Hypertensive participants were much more likely to demonstrate worsening scores on tests of executive function compared to those with normal blood pressure readings. The study authors found that this single factor negatively affected planning and decision making processes and corresponded with five to eight years of premature chronological brain aging.

Smoking Cessation and Controlling Diabetes and Obesity Key to Improved Cognition

Diabetes in middle age was associated with loss of brain volume in the memory-forming hippocampus region at a much faster rate than non-diabetics. Smokers were found to experience both accelerated brain volume shrinkage and white matter hyperintensities at a much faster rate than non-diabetic participants that did not smoke. Obese individuals were in the top quarter of those most likely to display loss of executive function and rapid rate of cognitive decline.

The lead study author, Dr. Charles DeCarli concluded that the four studied risk factors “provide evidence that identifying these risk factors early in people of middle age could be useful in screening people for at-risk dementia and encouraging people to make changes to their lifestyle before it`s too late”. Poor lifestyle choices are well known to contribute to a host of potentially lethal conditions and this body of research continues to add to the existing evidence. Health-conscious individuals will insist on a well balanced reduced calorie, low-refined carbohydrate diet along with regular physical activity to prevent obesity, hypertension, diabetes and cognitive decay.

Vitamin K Prevents Arterial Plaque and Slows Cognitive Decline

Vitamin K is a critical nutrient widely known for its ability to promote normal blood clotting. A wealth of new information demonstrates that this vitamin in its multiple forms can provide a powerful anti-inflammatory shield to protect against many lethal diseases of aging. Writing in the Journal of Nutrition, researchers show that vitamin K works with other fat-soluble nutrients to protect the brain from arterial calcification that leads to a stroke or cognitive decline.

Vitamin K works to prevent the deposition of calcium within arterial walls and ushers the mineral toward the normal construction of bone throughout the body. The research provides proof that eating a healthy diet to maintain adequate stores of vitamin K over a lifetime can help prevent arterial hardening, atherosclerosis and cognitive decline.

Vitamin K Slows Cognitive Decline by Supporting Brain Health

To determine the effect of vitamin K on cognitive function, researchers studied three groups of mice that were broken into a low, adequate, or high level of vitamin K supplemented in their diet over the course of their lifetime. Vitamin K is a fat soluble nutrient that can easily cross the blood-brain barrier to provide antioxidant support to a critical organ composed primarily of omega-3 fats. 

Researchers found that vitamin K plays an important role in “maintaining the white matter region of the brain by supporting the myelin sheathing that protects axons, connecting glial cells together with axons, and facilitating the speed at which your brain functions.” Animals with the lowest supplemental vitamin K levels displayed the highest degree of cognitive decline as they grew older, compared with the highest vitamin K group.

Vitamin K2 Inhibits Coronary Artery Calcification to Halt Heart Disease

Scientists publishing in the journal Atherosclerosis determined the effect of vitamin K on 564 post-menopausal women. The study was designed to contrast dietary intake of both the phylloquinone (vitamin K1) and menaquinone (vitamin K2) with coronary artery calcification (atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries). Researchers found that the K2 form of vitamin K was associated with a significant decrease in coronary artery calcification, while vitamin K1 did not appear to impact disease progression.

Dark green leafy vegetables provide a healthy dose of vitamin K1 but are not a significant source of vitamin K2, the form shown to yield protection against arterial hardening and dementia. Fermented foods such as natto, egg yolks and certain cheeses provide high levels of K2, although many people may choose to avoid these foods. Health-minded individuals will need to supplement with a quality supplement providing the full range of vitamin K isomers (1000 - 2000 mcg per day) to avert atherosclerosis and cognitive function decline.