Dr Christine Cheng

The Daily Mail reports that Superfoods which are increasingly popular recently may not have benefits fitting their price tags.

Berries

Claim: Packed with nutrients, berries are needed for brain development and boosting of  IQ, energy and immunity.

Truth: No evidence to back theory. Berries are rich in folate which boots brain power, but this is found in many food types.

Pomegranate Juice

Claim: Full of anti-oxidants to ward off cancer, heart disease and arthritis

Truth: Blood anti-oxidant levels are raised for only an hour after consumption of pomegranate juice

Wheatgrass

Claim: Contains chlorophyll which purifies the blood and detoxifies the body

Truth: Chlorophyll levels are no higher than other green vegetables. Plus chlorophyll is not absorbed into the body.

Seaweed

Claim: Enhances immunity, boosts brain power, prevents obesity, depression and anaemia

Truth: Seaweed contains the same nutrients as all other vegetables.

Ultimately, eating a varied wholesome diet with minimal processing and a large number of colours (and I don’t mean ketchup!) will provide the widest nutrient balance for optimal health.

International obsession with health and weight management has led to a reduction of salt and fat in processed foods.

Low fat foods are guilty of having a high sugar content. The high glycaemic index and high level of processing is already contributing to escalating obesity.

Now even “healthy” foods have much more sugar in them than original recipes! Breakfast cereals, soups and wholemeal bread have up to twice as much sugar as 30 years ago!

A high sugar intake contributes to tooth decay and insulin resistance. Insulin resistance, if not controlled, results in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Type 2 diabetes is linked to heart disease and obesity.

Sugar Content: 1978 vs 2007

I’m astounded that Kellog’s Special K now has 17g sugar/100g compared to a mere 9.6g/100g in 1978. If the sugar content is that high, I’ll have an ice cream for breakfast, thank you!

I’ve always regarded cereals, wholemeal breads and tomato soup as healthy diet options. I guess we can’t trust anything that’s processed nowadays. And it’s not just the additives and trans fats that we need to worry about.

Source: Daily Mail

It might be time to get a little more natural light in your life as researchers suggest that vitamin D, which is produced by sun exposure, has a number of profound health benefits.

U.S. researchers have found a direct link between vitamin D and cancer prevention. Their four-year clinical trial found that women taking the vitamin had a 60-per-cent reduction in cancer incidence compared to those not taking it.

Reports that vitamin D deficiency have been linked to cancer, multiple sclerosis, juvenile diabetes and osteoporosis should have people rushing to change their lifestyle. Supplementation is particularly important in temperate climates.

Optimise Your Vitamin D Levels:

1) Have a blood test to determine, then monitor, your vitamin D levels three or four times a year. Check for 25 Hydroxy Vitamin D levels, which should be between 125 and 150 nanomoles per litre.

2) Sunlight is the best source of vitamin D. How long you should stay outside depends on how much sun block your skin creates naturally. Fair-skinned people, especially blonds and redheads, need only about 20 minutes a day to produce the recommended levels. Those with darker skin could need five to 10 times longer. Never allow the skin to burn, Dr. Cannell advises. Vitamin D production is maximized before skin turns pink, and further exposure does not increase levels.

3) Only a few foods have naturally occurring levels of vitamin D, and usually in insignificant quantities. An adult would have to drink about 40 glasses of milk a day to get the recommended dose of vitamin D. Milk is a more adequate source for children.

Fatty fish like salmon, sardines and herring contain vitamin D, as do egg yolks, shiitake mushrooms and reindeer meat. Some juice and cheese companies also fortify their products with vitamin D. It is more effective for adults to go outside than to modify their diet.

4) Vitamin D3 cholecalciferol pills are available over the counter in most pharmacies and health-food stores. Take 2,000 international units of the supplement per day, and no more. It is possible to have too much vitamin D.

Drinking alcohol, even moderate amounts, is a well-established risk factor for breast cancer in women. A recent study found that 60 percent of breast cancer cases in women worldwide were attributable to alcohol consumption. But the mechanism(s) of alcohol-induced breast cancer are poorly understood.

Drinking just two alcoholic drinks a day when you have breast cancer fuels the growth of tumours. Cancer patients are often just told to moderate drinking.

A University of Mississippi team found giving mice the equivalent of two to four drinks a day doubled the normal growth of a tumour after four weeks. The growth and progression of breast cancer by fueling the development of new blood vessels — a process called “angiogenesis.” It does this by boosting expression of a key growth factor known as vascular endothelial growth factor or VEGF.

Dr. Jian-Wei Gu and colleagues from the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson examined the effects of alcohol on tumor growth and progression of breast cancer in mice.

For 4 weeks, 6-week old female mice consumed regular drinking water or water containing 1 percent alcohol, which is equivalent to about 2 to 4 drinks in humans. In week 2, the animals were inoculated with mouse breast cancer cells.

“We found after about 4 weeks that breast tumor size almost doubled in mice that drank alcohol compared to control mice given plain water,” Gu noted in a telephone interview with Reuters Health. Moderate alcohol intake also caused a noteworthy increase in tumor blood vessels compared with no alcohol intake.

The team also observed a significant increase in VEGF levels in the tumors of mice consuming alcohol compared to the tumors of control mice.

Lead researcher Jian-Wei Gu said: “The vast majority of tumours result from over expressed VEGF. Every day, we produce a lot of cancer cells, but they don’t become bigger. But if the cells establish blood vessels, the tumour grows and strengthens, a process known as angiogenesis. Alcohol can induce tumour angiogenesis.”

Over the past 18 months, evidence has emerged suggesting that vitamin D may reduce the risk for colorectal cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, multiple myeloma and other diseases such as multiple sclerosis.

Many cancers, in particular breast cancer, prostate cancer and bowel cancer, that correlate with latitude. This corresponds with the amount of Vitamin D produced naturally in response to sun exposure.

Since exposure to the sun carries risks for skin cancer, cataract formation and premature ageing, people need to take a moderate, balanced approach, and not trade cancers for cancer. A moderate, balanced approach is essential.

Some limited exposure unprotected may in fact reduce your risk of disease, but people should still follow sun sense guidelines, such as not overexposing themselves between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., and wearing sunscreen when the UV index is higher than three.

How much sun people need depends on age, skin colour, where you live, and the intensity of the sun — factors that influence how quickly vitamin D is produced.

Most experts believe the current recommendation of 400 units of vitamin D a day for people up to age 50, and 600 units daily for those over 70, is probably too low. Somewhere between 400 units and the upper safe limit of 2,000 units a day is optimal.

People may also increase their dietary intake by eating foods naturally high in vitamin D such as fatty fish like salmon, and eggs. Cow’s milk is fortified with vitamin D in Canada, and some cheeses and yogurt contain vitamin D.

An industry-funded study presented Monday at the Experimental Biology meeting in Washington, D.C. reported that the consumption of pistachios could reduce cholesterol levels.

“Pistachio amounts of 1.5 ounces and three ounces (per day) — one to two handfuls — reduced risk for cardiovascular disease by significantly reducing LDL (”bad”) cholesterol levels, and the higher dose significantly reducing lipoprotein ratios,” study author Sarah K. Gebauer, a graduate student in integrative biosciences at Penn State.

The multi-week study, funded by the California Pistachio Commission , concluded that three ounces of pistachios a day reduced LDL levels by 11.6 percent, total cholesterol levels by 8.4 percent, and non-high density lipoproteins (non-HDL) by 11.2 percent. Levels of non-HDL are considered predictors of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.

A handful of pistachios provide the same antioxidants found in dark, leafy vegetables and brightly-colored fruit.

“Our study has shown that pistachios, eaten with a healthy heart diet, may decrease a person’s CVD risk profile,” said primary investigator Dr. Penny Kris-Etherton, distinguished professor of nutrition at Penn State.

Research has confirmed that eating pistachios may reduce the body’s response to stress. A Penn State study has shown that elevated reactions to stressors can be reduced by the inclusion of pistachios in the daily diet.

“A ten-year follow-up study of young men showed that those who had larger cardiovascular responses to stress in the lab, were more likely to contract hypertension later in life,” says Dr. Sheila G. West, associate professor of biobehavioral health. “Elevated reactions to stressors are partly genetic, but can be changed by diet and exercise. Lifestyle changes can make the biological reactions to stress smaller.”

A randomised controlled study examiniming the effects of pistachios on participants who had high cholesterol, but normal blood pressure. They used a randomized, crossover controlled feeding study plan. All three diets included an equal number of calories.

After a two-week run-in diet containing 35 percent fat and 11 percent saturated fats, each test diet lasted for four weeks during which time participants consumed only foods supplied by the study.

The 3 diets were: a standard heart healthy diet with 25 percent fat and 8 percent saturated fat, a diet containing 1.5 ounces of pistachios with 30 percent total fat and 8 percent saturated fat, and a diet containing 3 ounces of pistachios containing 34 percent fat and 8 percent saturated fat.

At the end of each four-week diet regime, the researchers measured blood pressure and total peripheral vascular resistance at rest and during two stress tests, one physiological and the other physical.

The physical test consisted of putting one foot in a bucket of ice water for 2.5 minutes. The psychological test asked participants to listen to two numbers, add them in their head and say the answer. Then they were asked to pay attention to another number and add it to the second number they heard, not the original sum.

“The ice water is a stimulus for the sympathetic nervous system, but it is very different form the stressors we encounter every day,” says West. “We also wanted to see if the reaction occurred when the stress was nonphysical, so we used the math test.”

The researchers found that both pistachio containing diets reduced the stress effects on blood pressure, but that the 1.5 ounce pistachio diet reduced systolic blood pressure by 4.8 millimeters of mercury while the 3-ounce pistachio diet only reduced systolic blood pressure by 2.4 millimeters of mercury. The diets had no effect on normal, resting blood pressure.

When the researchers examined total peripheral vascular resistance, it was clear that the 3-ounce diet led to greater relaxation of arteries. Because the body strongly controls blood pressure, rather than allowing blood pressure to drop further, the heart compensated by pumping more forcefully.

“The relaxation of blood vessels after the 3-ounce pistachio diet likely reduced the workload on the heart,” says West. “This pattern of change would be beneficial if it is maintained long term. It is possible that other foods that are high in unsaturated fat and antioxidants would have a similar effect.”

By Dr Christine Cheng

As many as 80-90% of us have some form of adverse reaction to one or more foods or additives. Eating the offending foods can result in a broad range of symptoms such as migraine headaches, weight gain, chronic exhaustion, hyperactivity (ADD), arthritis, respiratory and skin disorders.

The food types we can react to include many foods generally considered to be healthy and nutritious. Many of these are consumed whilst on a weight loss regime: lettuce, cucumber, tuna, chicken and lemon being examples. This may explain why so many of us starve on a low calorie, low carbohydrate diet and yet fail to lose weight. To make matters worse, many of the foods that we are intolerant of are the very foods that we are addicted to!

When the offending food is consumed, an inflammatory reaction occurs, with the body mounting an immune response towards it. This can produce a multitude of reactions within the body. Changes in brain serotonin levels mimics depression and triggers a craving for sweet foods. Eating these simple sugars produces temporary relief, but brings with it an insulin surge that causes further craving for sugars. It is this vicious cycle that results in the failure of so many attempts at losing weight.

Once the trigger foods are identified, simple elimination of these substances could result in weight loss, particularly when combined with an exercise regime. The ALCAT Test is a simple blood test that can check an individual’s reaction to 150 common food substances and 20 chemicals/food additives. Dietary elimination of your favourite foods may not be easy initially, but these foods can be re-introduced after 3 to 6 months. The eating plan is unique to your specific body physiology, and it avoids the needless elimination of entire food groups or calorie counting.

Clients who stay on the new eating plan benefit from weight loss, increased energy and improved well-being. There is at least moderate improvement with obesity (98%), migraines (78%), arthritis (77%), eczema (67%), chronic fatigue (71%), chronic sinusitis (62%), diarrhoea/constipation (73%)

Food intolerance testing and the elimination of trigger foods can be the solution to the many people who have found it difficult to lose weight despite making appropriate dietary and lifestyle changes.

Dr Christine Cheng is an Aesthetic Physician at Simply Aesthetic Rejuvenation & Contouring Clinic (http://www.simply-aesthetic.com) in Singapore. She runs an effective slimming program combining the Food Intolerance Test with Mesotherapy and Advanced Contouring techniques to speed up the fat melting process. She is the Aesthetics Contributor for Gethat Magazine.

Simply Aesthetic Rejuvenation & Contouring Clinic provides non-surgical solutions to enhance physical beauty. Treatments available include mesotherapy for fat melting, cellulite, stretch marks, alopecia and rejuvenation, botox, fillers and chemical peels. Their cellulite program (http://www.we-treat-cellulite.com) shows reduction after 3 sessions, with elimination of moderate cellulite after just 5 sessions.

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