This issue seeks to clear some common misconceptions about nutrition. Despite good research debunking them, they won’t be going away anytime soon. Hugo Rodier, MD
Lower dietary calcium, potassium intake are risk factors for kidney stone recurrence
“HealthDay (8/12) reported “lower dietary calcium and potassium intake are risk factors for symptomatic kidney stone recurrence, according to a study published in” the Mayo Clinic Proceedings. In the study, “researchers found that lower dietary calcium, potassium, caffeine, phytate, and fluid intake were all associated with higher odds of an incident symptomatic kidney stone.”
Comment: most kidney stones are due to insulin resistance, which we see in pre-diabetics. Blaming calcium supplements is not helpful. Best to stop eating so much refined sugar, which are low in minerals, among many other nutrients.
Soy-Enriched Bread [Has] Beneficial Effects in Menopause
Open Journal of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases 2022;12(02):47-74
“Phytoestrogens are plant products with the estrogen-like activity which are able to mimic many of estrogen’s functions. The aim of the present experiment was to study the effects of 30 days of regular consumption of soy-enriched bread containing a known amount of phytoestrogens (genistein and daidzein) in climacteric or menopausal women. Thirty women at different stages of menopause (climacteric, within 5 years of menopause, more than 5 years of menopause) were asked to include 200 g/die of bread containing 40 mg of phytoestrogens in their diet. The effect of the regular consumption of this bread on common menopausal symptoms and cognitive parameters was determined before and after 30 days through questionnaires and experimental tests. Phytoestrogens were measured in the urine. Twenty-five women completed the study. Independence of the menopause stage, there was a significant increase of phytoestrogens in the urine and a decrease of the classical symptoms (i.e., hot flushes). Moreover, the women showed a significant improvement in attentional performance tests, the quality-of-life index and pain intensity. Phytoestrogens would be an important supplement in aging women due to their ability to induce estrogen-like effects without the potential side effects of estrogens. Their presence in soy-enriched bread, a food commonly present in meals, avoids consideration of their consumption as a drug.”
Comment: research vindicating soy continues to be ignored. Search “google scholar.” You will find that soy is even good for breast cancer and thyroid problems. Mayo Clinic Minute: Does Soy Increase Breast Cancer Risk? – Mayo Clinic News Network
Mediterranean diet has advantages over keto
Healio Minute, July 13, 2022
“There has long been debate about which low-carbohydrate diets — specifically, Mediterranean vs. ketogenic — offer the greatest health benefits to patients with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, but a randomized study may offer an answer. Researchers from Stanford University found that both diets improved blood glucose control — the study’s primary outcome — and both led to comparable weight loss in participants. However, unlike the Mediterranean diet, keto leads to elevated LDL cholesterol, lacks essential nutrients and is more difficult to maintain over time, giving the Mediterranean diet an edge. Christopher Gardner, PhD, a nutrition scientist at Stanford, and colleagues conducted a randomized study of 33 adults with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes who followed both the Mediterranean diet and the keto diet for 12 weeks each in a random order. Both diets incorporate non-starchy vegetables and avoid added sugars and refined grains, but there are three key differences between them: the Mediterranean diet incorporates legumes, fruits and whole grains, whereas keto does not.
Results showed that HbA1c values improved after baseline on both diets, and the levels did not differ between them. The keto diet saw a greater decrease in triglycerides than the Mediterranean diet (percentage changes, –16% vs. –5%), but LDL cholesterol was higher for those on the keto diet (percentage changes, +10% vs. 5%)
The potential harms of higher LDL associated with keto cannot be dismissed, the researchers said. The diets also had similar results for weight loss (8% on the keto diet vs. 7% on the Mediterranean diet). HDL cholesterol increased 11% on the keto diet compared with 7% on the Mediterranean diet. Results also showed that those on the keto diet had lower intake of fiber and three essential nutrients: folate, vitamin C and magnesium. “These potential harms likely relate to avoiding legumes, fruits and whole, intact grains on the [keto diet], and temper enthusiasm for avoiding these food groups.” Additionally, at 12 weeks, participants were more likely to adhere to the Mediterranean diet than the keto diet, suggesting that the Mediterranean diet is more sustainable.”
Comment: losing weight is hard. ANY diet that achieves that should be considered. HOWEVER, some diets are better and more sustainable. I don’t recommend the keto diet for long periods of time.
An Avocado a Day Helps With Cholesterol
Marlene Busko. WebMD Health News, July 11, 2022
“Avocados are a rich source of fiber and healthy fat, but eating one a day for 6 months did not shrink waist size or belly fat, according to the findings of a new study. But it did improve diet quality and led to modest lowering of total cholesterol. More than 1000 adults with overweight or obesity and a large waist — at least 35 inches in women and 40 inches in men — took part in this US study, called the Habitual Diet and Avocado Trial (HAT).
The people in the study were divided into two groups: (1) Usual diet plus one large avocado every day; (2) Usual diet with only up to two avocados a month (control group). Those in the avocado-a-day group were given a regular supply of fresh avocados along with written instructions for how to ripen and prepare them.
They had MRI scans to measure belly fat and fat around other organs (known as “visceral adiposity”) at the beginning of the study and after 6 months.
After 6 months, the people who ate an avocado a day did not have less fat around their middles – the main trial outcome – compared to people in the control group. But at 6 months, those in the avocado-a-day group had no weight gain, a 2.9 mg/dL decrease in total cholesterol and a 2.5 mg/dL decrease in LDL “bad” cholesterol. Published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.”
Comment: fat in avocados, nuts and fish are good for you.
Vitamin D Deficiency Clearly Linked to Inflammation
Nancy A. Melville. Medscape Medical News, August 19, 2022
“Vitamin D deficiency has a causative role in the systemic inflammation that commonly accompanies it, with inflammation declining, reflected by reductions in elevated C-reactive protein (CRP), as vitamin D levels increase to normal levels.”
Comment: recent pushback against vitamin D supplementation ignores articles like this. Best to check levels of vitamin D3 and make sure they end up around 70. Vitamin D is a pro-hormone shown to improve our immune system by optimizing our microbiome. Also, its function as a pro-hormone contributes to its anti-inflammatory effect.
