Outdated information does not go away until the generation that profits from it passes. I hope this is the case with the false dictum “Calories in equal Calories out.” If you have been following this newsletter you know that your Microbiome determines how you handle calories, or your metabolism. Two people may eat the same food, but the one with an unhealthy balance of gut bacteria will put on weight while the other one does not. Below you will find evidence against another worn-out dictum.
Hugo Rodier, MD.
Some calories are more harmful to health than others
Newsweek (5/16, Gander) reports that research indicates that while “all foods have the potential to make us obese if we eat enough of them,” some calories “could be more harmful to our health than others.” The findings were published Obesity Reviews. U.S. News & World Report (5/16, Lardieri) reports that the study “found fructose-sweetened, high fructose corn syrup-sweetened or sucrose-sweetened beverages increase cardiometabolic risk, whether or not a person gained weight.” But, “consuming the same amount of calories in cheese and yogurts…is associated with reduced cardiometabolic risk.”
Antidepressant are associated with weight gain over time
According to TIME (5/23, Ducharme), research published online May 23 in the BMJ suggests that “antidepressant use may be associated with weight gain over time.” Investigators arrived at that conclusion after examining data from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink involving some “295,000 people of all different weights.” The study revealed that people “prescribed antidepressants during the first year of the study were 21% more likely to have gained at least 5% of their starting body weight over the 10 years of follow-up, compared to people not taking the” medications.
Addressing the epidemic of Fatty Liver
Reuters (4/27, Rapaport) reported that research suggests individuals “who make an effort to improve their diet may be more likely to have less fat in their livers and a lower risk of liver disease than individuals who stick to unhealthy eating habits.” Researchers found that individuals “with above-average increases in adherence to a healthy Mediterranean diet rich in whole grains, fish, lean protein, veggies and olive oil were at least 26 percent less likely to develop fatty liver than individuals with average increases in adherence.” The findings were published in Gastroenterology.
Treatment with Phytoestrogens in Breast Cancer Cells.[1]
Triclosan (TCS) and bisphenol A (BPA) are endocrine-disrupting chemicals that interfere with the hormone or endocrine system and may cause cancer. Kaempferol (Kaem) and 3,3′-diindolylmethane (DIM) are phytoestrogens that play chemopreventive roles in the inhibition of carcinogenesis and cancer progression. They enhance proliferation and anti-apoptosis, but Kaem and DIM are natural chemopreventive compounds that effectively inhibited breast cancer cell proliferation and increased anti-apoptosis induced by TCS, and BPA.
Amount of exercise necessary for cardiovascular health
Newsweek (5/21, Gander) reports that researchers “believe they have pinpointed the exact amount of time we need to spend working out in order to look after our” hearts. USA Today (5/21, Molina) reports that the study “found varying amounts of exercise can affect different sized-arteries.” For instance, “the study found exercising 2-3 days a week for 30 minutes may help minimize stiffening in middle-sized arteries, while larger central arteries will stay youthful when you exercises 4-5 days a week.” The findings were published in the Journal of Physiology.
Low-fat diet linked to better breast cancer survival
TIME (5/24, Park) reports that research published in JAMA Oncology offers “some intriguing evidence that diet may indeed lower the risk of dying from cancer.” Investigators looked at data on approximately 48,000 participants in the Women’s Health Initiative. Time adds, “After 8.5 years of follow up, in which the researchers tracked the number of cancers that were diagnosed and the causes of death for women who died, the scientists found that among women diagnosed with breast cancer, those in the low-fat diet group lowered their risk of dying from the disease by 22%, compared to women in the regular diet group.” Meanwhile, “the low-fat group also had a 24% lower risk of dying from other cancers and a 38% lower risk of dying from heart disease.”
Obesity linked to 12 types of cancers
According to USA Today (5/24, Molina), a report indicates that “staying physically active and eating a healthy diet filled with whole grains, fruits and vegetables not only help lower weight but could cut your risk for cancer.” The new “report from World Cancer Research Fund links 12 types of cancers to being overweight, including breast and colorectal cancer.” USA Today adds, “The report said as of 2016, an estimated 1.97 billion adults worldwide and more than 338 million children and teens were considered overweight or obese.”
Polyps not always associated with risk for colon cancer
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (5/15, Templeton) reports researchers found “advanced polyps larger than 1 centimeter put the person at 2.5 times the risk for developing colorectal cancer as compared to a person with no polyps at all,” and “that people with nonadvanced polyps – polyps less than 1 centimeter – face no higher risk of colorectal cancer than people with no polyps.” MedPage Today (5/15, Ingram) reports the study’s conclusions were drawn from a “new analysis of the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian cancer screening trial.” The findings were published in the JAMA.
A diet rich in fish, vegetables is best for menopause
The New York Times (5/3, Bakalar, Subscription Publication) reports, “A diet rich in fish and vegetables may delay the onset of menopause,” researchers concluded after examining data on some “9,027 women ages 40 to 65,” who were followed for “four years.” After adjusting for confounding factors, researchers found “that for each additional two-and-a-half-ounce portion a day of fresh legumes (like peas or beans), menopause was delayed by about one year, and for each additional three-ounce portion of oily fish, by about three years.” The findings were published online in J. Epidem & Comm. Health.
Fast food may make it harder for women to get pregnant
On its website, NBC News (5/3, Fox) reports a study published in Human Reproduction found that “women who eat more fast food spend longer trying to get pregnant, while those who eat more fruit conceive more quickly.” According to the article, “Women who ate fruit less than one time a month took about two weeks longer, on average, to get pregnant than women who ate fruit three times a day or more.” Those who reported eating the most fast food and the lowest amount of fruit took two to three weeks longer to get pregnant than those who ate the most fruit and the least fast food, the article says.
Dark chocolate for eyes, brain, and immune system
ABC News (4/26, Shopp) reports on its website that researchers found in three separate studies that consuming dark chocolate may improve vision, as well as boost brain function and the strength of the immune system. In one study published in JAMA Ophthalmology, researchers found that people who ate dark chocolate “had small improvements in their vision.” In two other studies that were presented at a conference, researchers found that consuming dark chocolate may increase gamma waves, which are tied to “neurosynchronization,” and dark chocolate may also increase “anti-inflammatory markers as well as” T-cells in the immune system. USA Today (4/26, May) reports the research suggests that “chocolate with a minimum of 70% cacao can support cognitive, endocrine and cardiovascular health.” Researchers determined this after studying 10 participants, whose blood tests revealed benefits “even two hours after eating” the chocolate.
- J. Europe PMC 2018 DOI: 10.4062/biomolther.2017.160 (PMID:29310425) ↑
