Just Say Soy, and Have a Heart-healthy Day

Another Labor Day has passed, signifying the unofficial end of summer -- and  another chance for families to gather for barbecues and cookouts.  Typically, these involve foods that contribute to coronary artery disease, such as hot dogs and hamburgers.  Wouldn't life be great if we could have our dogs and burgers and stay heart healthy, too? 

New research published in the August issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concluded that a diet rich in soy milk and foods such as soy hot dogs and tofu burgers can help to lower your risk of heart disease. The researchers compared the soy diet to a diet very low in saturated fat and cholesterol and followed several risk factors for heart disease such as homocysteine levels, cholesterol, and blood pressure. After evaluating the two diets it was found that the soy-based diet did a better job of reducing total cholesterol, the LDL:HDL ratio, homocysteine level, and systolic blood pressure than the low-fat diet. Coronary artery disease risk calculated from the reduction in cholesterol and blood pressure was about 10% lower with the soy diets than with the low-fat diet. 

Soy products are becoming a prevalent source of nutrition in our country.  Many soy products are entering the market in a variety of foods.  While this is one of the first studies using soy "meats", we highly recommend consuming a variety of soy foods, preferentially concentrating on those with a long track record of use, such as tofu and miso.  Both have been fermented, and may be safer and healthier than other forms of soy proteins. 

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Can an Almond a Day Keep the Doctor Away? 

Many people avoid nuts in their diet, based on the assumption that their high amount of fat can be dangerous. While nuts are a source of calories, a new study published in the journal Circulation showed that the consumption of almonds actually reduced high levels of cholesterol, thus lowering the risk of heart disease. 

The study’s 27 participants were asked to consume 74 grams (about 2 handfuls) of almonds each day for one month, and then to consume 37 grams of almonds daily for the following month.  While none of the study participants went "nuts", their cholesterol levels decreased 9.4% in the full serving diet and 4.4% when consuming the half-portion of almonds.  Additionally, the LDL:HDL ratio, a crucial number when evaluating heart disease risk, also decreased. 

Nuts do not have cholesterol and are a good source of protein, but be careful not to add too many nuts to your daily diet because of the high caloric content.While nuts and seeds tend to be very high in fat and calories, most of the fat found in almonds, walnuts, and pecans is polyunsaturated or monounsaturated, rather than unhealthy saturated fats.  Nuts, including almonds, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, macadamia and pistachios, have also been shown to lower blood cholesterol in other studies.  The moral of the story: a handful of almonds a day can keep the doctor away --  but watch your total calorie intake.

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As we grow older, our bodies loses their ability to manufacture many hormones.  One such hormone touted for its "fountain of youth" effect is human growth hormone, or HGH.  Prior studies of HGH treatment in elderly people have shown improvements in muscle mass,  reduction in fat, increased bone density, and improved energy and mental faculty.  HGH has also been used to treat conditions such as short stature and Crohn's disease.

One of the most severe health problems in this country is obesity.  It is a condition that contributes to other problems such as diabetes, hypertension, and coronary artery disease.  Most Americans who suffer from obesity have tried fad diets, various diet programs, and the use of appetite suppressants, but failed to achieve any lasting improvement.  However, a report in the July issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism has reinforced the benefits of HGH as a potential treatment for obesity.

In this small study of six obese Italian men, HGH was administered at bedtime.  The researchers measured the blood throughout the study, looking for breakdown markers of fats, sugars, and proteins.  While the metabolism of proteins and sugars did not change when HGH was administered, there was a 25% increase in the breakdown of fat. These results were seen after only one week of treatment.

Although HGH is not approved for the treatment of obesity, future studies of this exotic hormone may help our population win the battle of the bulge.  Also, be aware that HGH should be administered by injection only.  Many advertisers promote "spray HGH" and other products that claim to increase growth-hormone levels.  However, these products are not clinically proven or backed by well controlled scientific research and need to be used with caution. 

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Crohn's disease is a devastating illness of the bowel.  It attacks the inner layer of the bowel known as the mucosa, causing abdominal pain, cramping, and bloody diarrhea.  Many patients with Crohn's disease are maintained on long-term immunosupressive drugs such as steroids.  They have an increased risk of developing bowel cancer, and are more likely to require bowel surgery.

Although the underlying cause of Crohn's disease remains a mystery, fatty acid imbalances, infections, and food sensitivity and intolerance all may contribute to this disease.  Many patients with this disease become interested in pursuing alternative treatments for Crohn's, as the traditional medications for the illness have a laundry list of side effects.  One such alternative that showed promise in older studies and is now again being tested – as noted in this past month's issue of Gut -- is the ingestion of dietary fatty acids.

Sixty-two patients with active Crohn's were entered into a double-blind, randomized, multicenter European trial. Patients received either a standard diet, a diet high in oleate fat, a diet high in linoleate fat or the drug prednisone.  While the group placed on prednisone had the highest remission rate of 79%, the group consuming high amounts of Omega-3 linoleate significantly outperformed the group fed a diet rich in oleate.  In fact, over half of the patients fed linoleate fats experienced remission of their Crohn's disease.

High doses of prednisone did prove to be more effective than the dietary changes, but at what cost?  While high doses of fatty acids can be tolerated and safely administered for lengthy periods of time, prednisone cannot.  Its side effects include possible osteoporosis, diabetes, cataracts, weight gain and kidney damage.  Therefore, it only makes good sense to try less toxic natural alternatives when an effective option exists. 

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Harvard Medical School has helped to pioneer many alternative medical therapies we offer here at the Magaziner Center for Wellness.  A new breakthrough in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis comes to us from Harvard. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a disease where the immune system attacks the body's own joints.  Such joints become warm, swollen, tender, red and permanently deformed.   The disease is traditionally treated with powerful medications to suppress the immune system such as prednisone, Imuran, and Methotrexate.

The researchers have discovered that the immune system attacks specific carbohydrate molecules, known as glycosaminoglycans.  These carbohydrate molecules make up a large composition of joint fluid, cartilage and connective tissue.  The immune reaction that leads to rheumatoid arthritis is akin to a constant allergic reaction. Therefore, an allergy-based therapy may ease rheumatoid symptoms and halt joint destruction.

We have started to use a Type II Undenatured Collagen to do just that.  Ingestion of the collagen desensitizes the immune system, thus retarding its attack on the body's own joints.  This results in the reduction of pain, swelling, and deformity in the joints of those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.  Type II Undenatured Collagen is safe, without many of the side effects of immune-suppressing drugs. 

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