Mounting evidence documents the ability of carnosine to prevent many of the detrimental effects of aging. In our youth, carnosine shields us from the onslaught of oxidation, glycation, DNA damage, and other reactions that injure tissues and cripple organs. The problem is that as we grow older, carnosine levels in the body decline
In an article published online on May 30, 2012 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers from the University of Minnesota report a protective effect for high vitamin D intake against the development of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of symptoms that may predict
Researchers at the University of Iowa have found a positive effect for ursolic acid, found in apple peel, on preventing weight gain in mice. The findings were reported online on June 20, 2012 in the journal PLoS ONE. Associate professor of internal medicine Christopher Adams, MD, PhD and his colleagues fed mice a high fat diet and gave half of the animals ursolic acid for six weeks. Although the mice that received ursolic acid consumed more food than those that did not receive the compound, they gained less weight by the end of the treatment period. They also had greater skeletal […]
The findings of research scheduled for presentation at the 244th American Chemical Society meeting, to be held August 19-23, 2012 in Philadelphia, reveal a protective effect for peaches, plums and nectarines against metabolic syndrome—a cluster of factors that predict obesity-related diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease. “In recent years obesity has become a major concern in society due to the health problems associated to it,” noted Texas AgriLife Research food scientist Dr Luis Cisneros-Zevallos. “In the U.S., statistics show that around 30 percent of the population is overweight or obese, and these cases are increasing every year in alarming numbers.” “The major concern about […]
The need in humans to lose weight from time to time is an age-old problem.
One of the concerning issues faced by people over-age 50 is the gradual loss of muscle mass that starts to speed up past this age. The big medical term for this muscle mass loss is sarcopenia and it only gets worse if you don’t take measures to fight it. One of these measures is a naturally occurring acid that I’d like to tell you about. Causes of Muscle Loss Did you know that people over the age of 30 begin to lose muscle mass? They can lose between 3% and 5% per decade. It speeds up after age 50 and people can lose between […]
Author Jonathon Goldstein once said, “Everyone runs around trying to find a place where they still serve breakfast because eating breakfast, even if it’s 5 o’clock in the afternoon, is a sign that the day has just begun and good things can still happen. Having lunch is like throwing in the towel.” Maybe for many of us breakfast represents that “new day dawning” attitude, but is there really something more to it — physiologically speaking? There’s no doubt that one of the most popular statements ever made in nutrition and medicine is that breakfast is the most important meal of […]
I’ve always counseled my patients about the need to keep a healthy weight. It not only makes you look and feel better but it decreases your risk for serious diseases. Many doctors, though, have shied away from telling their patients that they need to lose weight. Why? For one reason, patients tend to take comments about their weight very personally instead of seeing it as the health risk that it is. Many doctors don’t want to insult their patients and/or make them feel bad about themselves in any way. For another reason, some doctors feel that nutrition and weight loss counseling is […]
Like myself, and most of my patients, you probably have insurance policies on many things – your house, your car, your health, and, most importantly, your life. Why? Because they give you peace of mind. They cover, and perhaps even prevent, possible problems that might occur that could cost you a fortune to solve – even cause you to go bankrupt. In the same way, taking supplements – vitamins, minerals, certain herbs on occasion – are like taking out a nutritional insurance policy for yourself. Like all your other insurances, I feel that supplements offer additional peace of mind that […]
You likely know that you should get the health benefits of more fish in your diet. It’s a primary source of