Alzheimer's May Be Diabetes-Like Illness

Researchers have discovered an interesting new avenue in their attempts to understand the mystery of Alzheimer's Disease.

From Health Day:

Giving more weight to the notion that Alzheimer's may be a diabetes-like disease, researchers say rats depleted of insulin in the brain went on to develop an Alzheimer's-like illness.

By depleting insulin and its related proteins in the rodent's brains, the researchers say they have been able to replicate the progression of Alzheimer's disease." This included amyloid plaque deposits, neurofibrillary "tangles," impaired cognitive functioning, cell loss, and overall brain deterioration. All of these are characteristic of Alzheimer's disease.

"True Alzheimer's disease is a kind of insulin resistance in the brain," concluded lead researcher Dr. Suzanne M. de la Monte, a neuropathologist at Rhode Island Hospital and a professor of pathology and clinical neuroscience at Brown Medical School, in Providence, R.I.

She called the study "very exciting," adding that it "leads to new concepts of how to treat the disease."

According to the researchers, the study demonstrates that Alzheimer's is a brain-specific disorder, distinct from other types of diabetes, such as the inherited form, type 1, and obesity-linked type 2. "This study shows that Alzheimer's is a [new] type of diabetes," de la Monte said. "It's type 3 diabetes."

Other experts remained unconvinced, however.

"To date, the construct that Alzheimer's is type 3 diabetes remains largely unsupported," said Dr. Sam Gandy, chairman of the Medical and Scientific Advisory Council at the Alzheimer's Association and director of the Farber Institute for Neurosciences at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia.

The report appears in the March issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

According to de la Monte, a loss of insulin in the brain may trigger Alzheimer's onset because brain cells need insulin to function and survive. When this happens, oxidative stress increases, the brain deteriorates, and there is loss of cognitive function, plus a buildup of plaques and tangles in the brain, she said.

Whether restoring insulin to the brain can slow or reverse the progression of Alzheimer's is something that de la Monte's team is looking at now in animals. "The results are under review," she said.

"We are looking at a brain form of diabetes," de la Monte said. "One can look forward to approaches that may work in the brain which we already have available, or that might be modified to treat patients with neurodegeneration," she said.

De la Monte is convinced that what doctors call Alzheimer's is really several different conditions under one umbrella. "We will have to develop ways to be certain who has what kind of neurodegeneration," she said.

About 50 percent of patients diagnosed with dementia have Alzheimer's, de la Monte noted. "The others have a mixed condition or something else wrong with them," she said.

"There are a number of conditions that people call Alzheimer's disease," de la Monte said. "People are developing ways of testing insulin resistance in the brain, which will be necessary to validate any therapy that comes out of this."

However, one expert doesn't think that her team has yet made a convincing case for the theory.

"The paper overreaches," said Gandy.

He noted that de la Monte's group injected the rats' brains with Streptozotocin, the compound they used to inhibit local insulin production. So, it's not clear whether the brain changes her group noted were related to a lack of insulin, or this insult to the brain. "Streptozotocin, which causes oxidative stress, would be predicted to cause such stress in many tissues, including the brain," Gandy said.

In addition, changes the researchers observed in the brains of the mice were only modest, with no clear structural pathology evident, he said.

Another expert believes insulin's role in Alzheimer's may only be part of the picture.

"There is definitely speculation that insulin is linked to Alzheimer's," said Dr. Zoe Arvanitakis, an assistant professor of neurological sciences at Rush University Medical Center, in Chicago.

"But given the complexity of the illness, it is probably unlikely that addressing a single mechanism of illness, for example giving insulin, is probably unlikely to cure the disease," Arvanitakis said. "It might help some people. It might help to some extent. But it is unlikely that a single approach will be the answer to the problem," she said.

The evidence isn't conclusive, but this is an interesting new track for researchers to follow. This disease might be solved before many of us get old enough to fear its onset.

Fitness News You Can Use

From Fitbits:

Exercise ETC’s Review of Exercise Related Research
Compiled by Jeannie Patton, MS, CSCS

Ninety degree seat angle on leg extension optimal for vastus muscle recruitment

One of the most common exercises performed in the gym is the leg extension, which involves extension of the knee joint from a flexed position while seated. The purpose of this study was to examine the electrical activity of the superficial quadriceps muscles and the erector spinae at 3 different seat angles during the leg extension exercise.

Twenty young healthy men and women with a minimum of 6 months of weightlifting experience served as subjects. The 3 angles tested were 90 degrees, 100 degrees, and 110 degrees. The researchers found the greatest activity for the erector spinae occurred at a seat angle of 110 degrees. The best recruitment of both the vastus lateralis and medialis occurred at a seat angle of 90 degrees.

Since the goal of the leg extension is to maximize the recruitment of the quadriceps muscle while minimizing the stress to the low back, the results of this study would support a seat angle of 90 degrees to accomplish that goal.

Gomez, Thelma, R. et al. The Impact of Seatback Angle on Electromyographical Activity of the Lower Back and Quadriceps Muscles During Bilateral Knee Extensions. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2005, 19(4), 908-917.


Heavy squats prior to sprinting shown to improve performance

Post-activation potential (PAP) is defined as an increase in the contractile ability of muscle after a bout of previous contractions. The purpose of this study was to determine whether performing high force or explosive force movements prior to sprinting would improve running speed.

Fifteen NCAA Division III football players served as subjects. The heavy loaded squat protocol consisted of 1 set of 3 repetitions at 90% of the athleteÂ’s 1 repetition max (1RM). The loaded jump consisted of a squat jump with a load of 30% of the 1RM from a squat performed on a modified Smith machine.

The results of the study indicated that 40-meter sprint time statistically improved following the heavy loaded squat protocol but not the vertical jump protocol. Based on this study, Fitness Professionals should consider different types of warm-ups for athletes involved in activities that require a single bout of maximal running speed. Other types of warm-ups such as stretching and jogging have been shown to decrease performance. Based on the results of this investigation, heavy squats performed 4 minutes prior to a 40-meter sprint can improve performance.

McBride, Jeffrey. Et al. The Acute Effects of Heavy-Load Squats and Loaded Countermovement Jumps on Sprint Performance. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2005, 19(4), 893-897


Intermittent cardio exercise results in slightly higher caloric burn than continuous exercise

It is recommended that every adult accumulate 30 min or more of moderate intensity physical activity on most, if not all, days of the week. The purpose of this study was to compare energy expenditure during and following continuous exercise versus intermittent exercise.

Twenty fit college-aged males served as subjects. Energy expenditure was measured at rest, during exercise and during recovery. Subjects performed 30 minutes of continuous exercise, which included a 45-minute recovery period, and on a separate testing day three 10-minute bouts which included 15 minutes of recovery following each bout. Workload was adjusted during exercise in both test protocols to maintain oxygen consumption at 70% VO2max.

Results indicated that total energy expenditure during 30 min of intermittent exercise and three 15-minute recovery periods was slightly greater than the collective energy expenditure for 30 continuous minutes of exercise and 45 minutes of recovery. The 30 minutes of continuous exercise actually had a slightly higher energy expenditure (7 Kcals), but the three 15 minute recovery periods from the intermittent exercise produced a higher energy expenditure (22.2 Kcals) accounting for the 15 Kcal difference between the protocols.

The results of this study from a practical standpoint indicate that intermittent bouts of moderate exercise result in the same energy expenditure as continuous exercise at the same intensity. Since time is the number one reason why many individuals do not exercise, Fitness Professionals should share these results with their clients and the general public. If caloric expenditure is the primary goal, then performing numerous bouts of exercise throughout the day will burn slightly more calories than
performing one continuous bout. Smaller time segments may also be more convenient and thus increase motivation and adherence.

Darling JL, Linderman JK, Laubach LL. Energy expenditure of Continuous and Intermittent Exercise in College aged males. Journal of Exercise Physiology online 2005;8(4):1-8.


Increasing the volume of exercise can result in improvements in oxygen consumption

Exercise to increase aerobic fitness is routinely done by Fitness Professionals, however very few studies exist that examined the effects of different intensity and amount of exercise on peak oxygen consumption. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of intensity and amount of exercise on improvements in peak oxygen consumption.

One hundred and thirty-three sedentary, overweight men and women served as subjects. Subjects were assigned to one of four groups:

• High-amount/high–intensity (65%-80% of VO2, equivalent of jogging 20 miles/week)
• Low-amount/high-intensity (65%-80% of VO2, equivalent of jogging/walking on an incline12 miles/week)
• Low-amount/moderate-intensity (40%-55% of VO2, equivalent of walking 12
miles/week)
• Non-exercising control group

All exercise groups experienced an increase in peak oxygen consumption and time to exhaustion compared to the controls. The high-intensity/high amount group showed the greatest improvement in peak VO2. The results also indicated that increasing the intensity from 40%-55% to 65%-80% with a controlled amount of exercise (equivalent of 12 miles/week) did not significantly improve peak oxygen consumption. However increasing the amount of exercise did produce improvements.

Fitness Professionals need to consider a number of factors when programming for clients. Based on the results of this study, by increasing the amount of exercise performed, one can achieve similar improvements in oxygen consumption while working at moderate intensities. Higher intensities may not be appropriate for those with health issues and may also be perceived as uncomfortable by others, and thus affect adherence and motivation.

Duscha, Brian, D. et al. Effects of Exercise Training Amount and Intensity on Peak Oxygen Consumption in Middle-Age Men and Women at Risk for Cardiovascular Disease. CHEST. October, 2005; 128:2788-2793.

Fish Oils Block Prostate Cancer Growth

Here is another reason for men to eat fish or use fish oil supplements. I've been preaching the need for a more balanced intake of the polyunsaturated fats, and this study supports the need to balance omega-6 fats, which may be used by cancers for energy to grow, with omega-3 fats, which seem to inhibit cancer growth.

From the BBC:

A diet rich in a fat found in oily fish may protect men with prostate cancer from developing a more aggressive form of the disease, scientists have found.

Prostate cancer is much more likely to be life-threatening if tumour cells migrate and invade other tissues, such as the bone marrow.

Lab tests found omega-3 oil - present in fish like salmon - prevented this.

The results of the study, based at Manchester's Christie Hospital, are in the British Journal of Cancer.

The Paterson Institute researchers tested the effect of two types of dietary fat on prostate cancer cells in the lab.

Previous research has suggested omega-3 fats, which is also found in mackerel and fresh tuna, may help cut the risk of cancer - and other conditions, such as heart disease.

Omega-6 fats, found in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, also play a key role in keeping us healthy.

Energy source

However, while omega-6 fats increased the spread of prostate cancer cells into bone marrow, omega-3 fats blocked this.

Researcher Dr Mick Brown said: "It is possible to have a healthy balance of these two types of fat - we only need about half as much omega-3 as omega-6 - that will still stop cancer cells from spreading."

The researchers believe tumour cells might use omega-6 fats as a high energy source - giving them the energy they need to maintain a high growth rate and to create molecules that control migration.

Omega-3 fats appear to interfere with this process in some way.

Lead researcher Noel Clarke said: "Some tumours develop slowly in the prostate without producing symptoms and sometimes when symptoms do develop, it is because the cancer has already spread.

"Eating a diet with the right balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fats may well help to keep prostate cancer within the prostate gland where it may be monitored safely or more easily treated with surgery or radiotherapy."

Larger studies

Derek Napier, of the Association for International Cancer Research, which part-funded the study, said the findings might aid the development of new ways to block the spread of many types of cancer.

Professor John Toy, of Cancer Research UK, said the work was still at an early stage.

"We would need large population studies to provide the needed evidence to say a change in diet could reduce prostate cancer cells from spreading," he added.
Prostate cancer is the most common male cancer in the UK.

The research was funded by the Association for International Cancer Research (AICR) and the Medical Research Council (MRC).

Eating the Right Fats for Health, Part Three

[Parts one and two are helpful, but not necessary. These articles originally appeared in Equilibrium.]

Conclusion: Fats that Heal

In this final installment in my series on dietary fats, I want to provide as much information as possible about some of the various healthy fats, their benefits, and their recommended intakes.

Ideally, we want to try to reduce our intake of saturated fats, eliminate all hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils, and avoid all fried foods. If we can follow these simple suggestions, we will have space in our diet to include healthy fats without consuming substantially more calories. In fact, by eliminating the bad fats and increasing the good fats, even if calories remain the same, we are likely to feel much healthier.

Fish Oils and DHA

Diets high in fat (the bad fats) increase the risk of type II diabetes, which equates to poor insulin sensitivity. Poor insulin sensitivity means that our tissues no longer respond to normal levels of insulin, so the body initially secretes more insulin to get nutrients into cells. Over time, insulin production becomes sharply reduced. The resultant condition is now known as insulin resistance, a disease state that precedes the onset of type II diabetes.

Replacing some of the bad fats in our diets with fish oil capsules, or other omega-3 fatty acids, can improve our insulin sensitivity and thereby reduce the risk of diabetes. Fish oil is the best way to achieve this improvement in insulin status, and the results are due to its active omega-3 constituents, DHA and EPA. Fish oil is a more efficient way to get DHA, since the conversion of alpha-linolenic acid (from flax oil, for example) to DHA is roughly 25 to 35 percent at best.

DHA offers a variety of other health benefits:

* Improved brain function in adults (especially memory)
* More complex brain development in the fetus and infant
* Retinal health (the highest concentrations of DHA in the body are found in the retina)
* Proper nerve cell function
* A reduction in the inflammation caused by arthritis (reduced arachidonic acid)
* A reduction in LDL cholesterol (bad) and an increase in HDL cholesterol (good)

There are also possible benefits for a variety of neurological disorders:

* Some studies have shown an improvement in ALS symptoms with DHA treatment
* Some seizure disorders seem to be connected to low levels of DHA
* Children suffering from cerebral palsy have very low levels of DHA

To get the benefits of DHA, begin with a daily dosage of six capsules of fish oil or one tablespoon of flax oil. The optimal dosage can only be achieved with fish oil capsules (about 20 a day), but even a lower intake will improve health. For those who choose flax oil, you can take as many as two tablespoons a day as long as the diet is balanced with omega-6 fatty acids and monounsaturated fats. Flax oil is also available in capsules for those who can tolerate the taste of the oil.

Flax Oil and the Omega-3 Fatty Acids

In addition to the conversion of the alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, one of the two primary essential fatty acids) in flax oil to DHA, omega-3 fatty acids in flax seed and its oil offer other health benefits as well. Most importantly, flax oil allows us to increase the omega-3 content of our diet, achieving a better balance with the omega-6 fatty acids so prevalent in our diets. Too much omega-6 fat in the diet can impair the body's ability to manufacture DHA from ALA, so attempting the keep the omega-3 to omega-6 ratio around 1:3 is crucial.

ALA is also the raw material for the creation of EPA in the body. Like DHA, EPA is important in the creation of the slightly anti-inflammatory 3 series prostaglandin, PGE3. PGE3 can reduce the inflammation of arthritis, as well as it supporting immune function in the body.

EPA, through its effects on one variety of the body's messengers (the eicosanoids), influences inflammation, immune function, blood vessel health, and blood viscosity (clotting ability). Further, EPA can be converted by the body into DHA when needed, making it an essential lipid for overall health.

Another benefit of flax oil is the lignan content, which isn't particularly related to its fatty acid content but is certainly influenced by it. High lignan flax oil has shown some benefits in reducing breast cancer risk and as part of a holistic treatment program for beast cancer patients and survivors. It is thought that the lignans bind to estrogen receptors, thereby displacing actual estrogen and reducing its potential cancer-causing abilities. The EPA and DHA produced by the body from the ALA in flax oil no doubt aid that process.

The health benefits of flax oil and ALA are extensive:

* All the benefits of fish oil (though not as efficiently)
* Production of EPA, a substance crucial to several bodily systems
* Reduced symptoms of depression
* Reduced hyperactivity in children
* Reduced aggression in children and adults
* Decreased severity of neuropathy
* Reduction in the negative effects of arachidonic acid (see last month's article)

As noted above, begin with one tablespoon of flax oil a day (or 14 capsules), working up to two tablespoons if needed. However, when consuming higher levels of EPA (from fish or flax oil), it is important to increase antioxidant intake as well, especially vitamin E. For those taking flax oil, this may not be as big a concern since flax oil often has vitamin E added to prevent spoilage. But when taking high dosages of fish oil, it is important to take at least 400 i.u. of vitamin E each day to prevent the fatty acids from being damaged by free radicals in the blood.

GLA and the Omega-6 Fatty Acids

Linoleic acid (LA) is the other essential fatty acid. It must be acquired from our diet because our bodies cannot synthesize it from other substances. LA is the primary omega-6 fatty acid, a group of lipids important to our health, but far too prevalent in our diets.

LA is converted in the body to a variety of substances, some of them incredibly beneficial and others that are healthy in moderate doses but toxic at higher doses. Most importantly, LA is converted into another prostaglandin, the series 1 variety, PGE1. PGE1 is highly anti-inflammatory and can provide significant relief for arthritis pain, matching many prescription drugs in its efficacy without any of the troubling side effects.

One of the substances derived from LA is gamma linoleic acid (GLA), a very important lipid. Like LA, GLA is converted to PGE1 in the body, and some research suggests it is converted more efficiently than LA.

There has been promising research with alcoholics taking GLA, especially because alcohol abuse tends to flush EFAs, including GLA, from the brain and body. Women who suffer from PMS also seem to respond to GLA therapy. In addition, research has shown that about 20 percent of those suffering from multiple sclerosis receive some benefit from taking GLA. It appears that PGE1 functions as powerfully in the brain as it does throughout the rest of the body.

Omega-6 fatty acids are found in most vegetable oils, as well as in most grain-based fats. GLA is most concentrated in borage oil but is also found in evening primrose oil and black currant oil. Six capsules of borage oil a day have been shown to provide pain relief and greater flexibility to those suffering from osteoarthritis, as well as the autoimmune disease, rheumatoid arthritis.

Monounsaturated Fats

In terms of heart health, the best fat, without question, is monounsaturated fat. Years of research demonstrate that a diet high in monounsaturated fat reduces LDL cholesterol, increases HDL cholesterol, and reduces triglycerides. These factors all lead to a marked reduction in heart disease risk.

Another benefit of monounsaturated fat may be an increase in sex hormone production. The sex hormones are all synthesized from cholesterol in the blood, which is one reason why cholesterol is essential to our health. Some researchers speculate that the reason testosterone levels in men increase with their intake of monounsaturated fats is the increase in HDL, which shuttles LDL back to the liver to be metabolized in the production of energy, and possibly into sex hormones as well.

Natural testosterone production in men begins to decrease in the early thirties. Higher testosterone levels in aging men are associated with increased heart health, lower incidence of depression, better blood lipid profiles, and better muscle-to-fat ratios. Men and women over thirty should be consuming monounsaturated fats for heart health anyway, and if a side benefit is improved hormone levels, all the better.

The best source for the mono fats is olive oil. Other good sources include almonds, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, avocados, castor oil (yuck!), and high oleic safflower oil. The mono oils are best for cooking and should be used to replace butter whenever possible.

A Plan for Health

If you can follow these recommendations, you will be well on your way to better health and, quite possibly, a slimmer waist.

* Never eat fat and carbohydrates (sugar, starch, refined grains) in the same meal
* Avoid trans-fatty acids (hydrogenated oils) and fried foods
* Consume at least one tablespoon of flax oil a day
* Consume at least one tablespoon of olive oil a day
* Replace sugary snacks with almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and other healthy nuts (not peanuts, which are too high in omega-6 fats and present an allergy risk for many people)
* Always select low-fat cuts of meats, and include fish in the diet as much as possible
* Consider taking at least 6 grams of fish oil each day
* Consider taking borage or evening primrose oil (six grams a day) if you have arthritis

Are You Drinking Too Many Calories?

About one-fifth of the calories we consume come from liquids. The worst offenders are sodas, sports drinks, fruit drinks, and sugary tea and coffee drinks. Some drinks at Starbucks can have as many as 700 to 800 calories--and a lot of fat.

The American Journal of Nutrition has published out some guidelines.

Healthy Beverage Options

So what should we drink?

• Water. It quenches thirst and still has zero calories. Even with water, however, too much is -- well too much. "Drinking for thirst is sufficient," Fernstrom says.
• Unsweetened tea and coffee. These beverages contain caffeine. A little caffeine is good for you, Popkin says. But don't consume more than 400 milligrams per day (8 ounces of brewed coffee has 132 milligrams of caffeine; 8 ounces of tea has about 40 milligrams).
• Skim or low-fat milk or soy beverages, up to 16 ounces a day.
• Artificially sweetened beverages, up to 32 ounces a day. If you choose coffee, tea or soda, watch the caffeine. Popkin says there's no proof that artificial sweeteners are bad for you -- but because the data are slim, the panel was "uneasy" about recommending them.

What drinks can we enjoy in strict moderation?

• Alcoholic beverages (adults only). Moderation is the key word here. The guidelines advise no more than one drink per day for women, two for men. A drink is one 12-ounce beer, one 5-ounce glass of wine, or one 1.5-ounce drink of distilled spirits. And remember, alcoholic drinks are high-calorie drinks.
• Fruit juice. Fruit juice has nothing in it you can't get from whole fruit -- and it has a lot more calories. But if you aren't getting enough whole fruit in your diet, one 4-ounce glass of juice per day is OK.

What drinks should we avoid? The guidelines say we should cut back on these things by at least 75%:

• Whole milk. It's a huge source of saturated fat -- and who needs that?
• Sweetened soft drinks, sweetened sports drinks, and fruit drinks. If you have to have one, limit yourself to an 8-ounce glass.
• Sugar-sweetened tea and coffee drinks.

Fernstrom worries that the guidelines will confuse consumers. She says it may be better simply to stress the fact that many beverages contain calories.

"If you are trying to lose weight, you must be mindful of all the calories you consume, particularly those in beverages -- they all count," she says. "The positive message from the guidelines is you don't have to limit your noncalorie liquids to water. Tea, diet beverages, noncalorie sports drinks, flavored waters -- all are equivalent. That is the way to save calories. There are a lot of options."

Popkin and colleagues were funded by Unilever, which makes Lipton Teas. Popkin says the company had no input on the guidelines and saw them only in their final form. Lipton is using the guidelines to promote its products, but Lipton says this choice was made by the company and not by the panel.

The guidelines appear in the March 1 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

I'm on board with these recommendations. I always tell my clients to aim for a gallon of water a day, or more (we live in the desert). I tell them to stay away from alcohol, soda, fruit juice, and whole milk.

I'm a bit of a renegade when it comes to fruit juice. This stuff has a lot of calories, but the real problem is that the liver processes fructose into triglycerides immediately and stores them as fat rather than burning the calories for energy.

I'm not saying don't eat fruit, but just know that it will be stored as fat and not burned for energy.

Eating the Right Fats for Health, Part Two

[This article series originally appeared in Equilibrium.]

Part Two: The Unhealthy Fats

In the first installment in this series, I provided a brief introduction to the various lipids (fats) we consume in our diet. Although I didn't go into depth about any one lipid and its risks or benefits, I hinted at some of this information. This time we will learn which fats are dangerous and why, and how to avoid or mitigate their potential threat to our health.

First, the bad news: excess dietary fat has been linked to heart disease, obesity, autoimmune disorders, colon cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, and inflammatory diseases such as arthritis. In terms of caloric intake, one gram of fat yields nine calories, while protein and carbohydrates each yield four calories. It has long been assumed that eating fat can make us fat -- in fact, eating the wrong fats can kill us.

Now, the good news: not all fats are equal. A handful of researchers, most notably the late Dr. Atkins, were able to prove that dietary fat is not the only factor that makes a person overweight. Their research and dietary strategies showed that carbohydrates -- and the associated rise in insulin levels -- are the most significant cause of body fat accumulation. These researchers also discovered that certain fats, such as the omega-3s, are good for us.

Saturated Fat

For years we have known that saturated fat increases serum cholesterol and is a leading cause of atherosclerosis (fat deposits in arteries). We know, therefore, that high-fat animal foods seriously increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. Unfortunately, this knowledge hasn't led to healthier dietary habits for the majority of Americans.

We also know that saturated fat is preferentially stored in adipose tissue (the body's fat cells), which explains why eating fat makes us fat. Because saturated fats have no double-bonded carbons in their structure, they can yield more energy per carbon than if they had double bonds (like the omega fatty acids), which is why the body stores them in adipose tissue.

The human body uses fats according to their structure. Polyunsaturated fats are used as the building materials for cell membranes due to their flexibility. Saturated fats are much more rigid, so the body will use them only as stored energy. Consuming saturated fats with a high carbohydrate meal (which significantly raises insulin) will result in the saturated fat quickly being shuttled into adipose tissue. A Big Mac, fries, and a milk shake are the perfect recipe for fat storage.

However, while the fat is still circulating in the blood, it has a tendency to clump due to its long-chain structure. These clumps of fat can be deposited within arteries, organs, and even muscle. When these clumps of fat are deposited in organs or around glands, they greatly increase the risk of cancer.

One possible explanation for the increase in cancer risk due to fat accumulation is the estrogenic properties of fat tissue. While estrogen is necessary for normal health, excess estrogen has been linked to breast and prostate cancers, and is suspected in several other forms of cancer, including colon and skin cancers. It turns out that adipose tissue not only has more estrogen receptors than normal cells, but it also can create estrogen. Therefore, the more adipose tissue a person carries, the higher the risk of developing certain types of cancer.

For many years, we thought saturated fat was the worst fat in the diet. But there has been a lot of research in recent years showing trans-fatty acids to be equally, if not more harmful.

Trans-Fatty Acids

Trans-fatty acids (TFAs) are created by the hydrogenation of mono- or polyunsaturated lipids. The process involves adding hydrogen to a vegetable oil in a complex chemical reaction involving high heat and pressure. The resultant oil is solid at room temperature and becomes rancid much more slowly. TFAs are used in most processed foods and are the foundation of margarine and vegetable shortenings.

Natural unsaturated oils are in a "cis" format, meaning that the hydrogen atoms are all on the same side. This allows the lipid to be more flexible, and most polyunsaturated fats are, in fact, curved, allowing them fit within cells without abnormally altering the cell's shape.

During the hydrogenation process, the hydrogen atoms move to the opposite side of the carbons, thus the designation "trans." This creates a fat molecule that is even more rigid than saturated fat -- a molecule produced naturally only in the stomachs of ruminate animals. When TFA molecules, which resemble saturated fat more than unsaturated fat, are used in the formation of new cells and cellular membranes, they create more rigid -- and unhealthy -- cell structures.

Research has also shown that TFAs increase cholesterol at least as much as do saturated fats, possibly more. Although both types of fat seem to increase LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) equally, TFAs also reduce HDL cholesterol (the good kind). This factor alone makes them more harmful than saturated fats.

But trans-fats are also implicated in increasing lipoprotein levels, which results in the formation of arterial plaque. The combined action of lowered HDL, increased LDL, increased cholesterol, and increased lipoproteins makes TFAs the single greatest dietary risk for coronary heart disease. In addition, TFAs contribute to the risk of type II diabetes and have been linked to the onset of several forms of cancer.

TFAs have absolutely no health benefits. All foods containing these fats are now required to list them in the nutrition panel. They should be required to carry a clear warning label, just like a pack of cigarettes. Personally, I believe that TFAs are as deadly as cigarettes. In fact, Holland has banned TFAs from food production, a step we unfortunately are not likely to see here.

Omega-6 Fats

As I will discuss next time, omega-6 fatty acids are crucial to our health. Linoleic acid, the primary omega-6 lipid, is an essential fatty acid, meaning we must consume it in our diet because the body cannot produce this lipid on its own. However, our dietary intake of omega-6 fatty acids is so out of balance with our intake of omega-3 fatty acids that omega-6 fats can be considered a health risk.

Until the industrialization of food production began about 100 years ago, the human diet was essentially balanced in its omega-3 and omega-6 intake. The optimal balance is 1:1, with 1:3, omega-3 to omega-6, being acceptable. The average American diet is in the range of 1:25 to 1:35.

This imbalance creates a variety of health risks, especially for inflammatory diseases like arthritis. One of the omega-6 fats, arachidonic acid (AA), which is found in animal fats and is also produced by the body, is essential to our health but can become toxic when not balanced by adequate omega-3 intake.

Our bodies and brains are adept at regulating the amount of AA formed from dietary lipid intake. However, when we also consume a lot of animal fat, we not only get unhealthy saturated fat, we get much higher levels of AA than the body needs. The higher levels of AA, if not offset by adequate levels of omega-3 fats (especially EPA, which is found in fish oil), produce a variety of highly reactive substances.

Among the substances produced by high AA intake are prostaglandin E2 (associated with inflammation, pain, and swelling), leukotrienes (which cause pain and swelling, and are 1,000 to 10,000 times more inflammatory than histamine), and thromboxane A2 (which can cause increased blood clotting and blood vessel spasm). These substances produced by AA are the reason why arthritis patients are warned to avoid red meat (which has higher fat content than other forms of meat).

What We Can Do

The following suggestions can limit the negative impact of unhealthy fats.

* Completely avoid trans-fatty acids if possible, or, at the very least, severely restrict your intake of them.

* Limit saturated fat to less than 10 percent of total fat consumption.

* Try to keep dietary fat to less than 30 percent of total calories unless following a low-carbohydrate diet. Although lower fat diets are often healthy, falling below 20 percent of total calories from fat can be harmful for many people.

* When choosing meat and dairy products, try to find free-range or grass-fed products. For example, free-range chicken and eggs are roughly 1:2 omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids, whereas grain-fed products are between 1:20 (chicken) and 1:40 (egg yolks).

*Increase intake of omega-3 fatty acids in the form of flax seed or oil, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, hemp seed or oil, and fish oils to balance omega-3 to omega-6 intake.

* Eat cold-water fish and/or use fish oil capsules, which is especially important in reducing cellular levels of arachidonic acid.

In the last installment, I will discuss the good fats, their benefits, and how to include them in our diets.

Seven Reasons You're a Weakling

Well, I guess insulting your readers is one way to get their attention.

Seriously, Eric Cressey knows his stuff or he wouldn't be writing for T-Nation. He argues that training for strength can hit all four of the primary goals most people list for what they want to accomplish in their training:

20% want to lose fat
18% want to perform better athletically
37% want to build muscle
23% want to get stronger

(Please note that these numbers come from a poll of T-Nation readers, who are mostly male and mostly serious about their training.)

The seven reasons he gives for why most of us aren't strong are as follows:

1. You're not appropriately allocating your CNS-intensive training.
2. You have poor structural balance.
3. You're rotating movements too often.
4. You're relying too much on rep work.
5. You aren't training your weaknesses.
6. You're not training heavy enough.
7. You're too fatigued to display your fitness.

If any of these apply to you (or if you don't know what some of them mean), you might want to read the article.

Eating the Right Fats for Health, Part One

[This article, and the two that will follow, originally appeared in Equilibrium, an alternative newspaper that is no longer in business.]

Part One: Introduction to Lipids

Back in the middle 1990s, the woman I was seeing at the time decided to join the corporate gym provided by her employer. Her trainer put her on an ultra low-fat diet, with the ideal being zero fat consumption. Because we were living together, it seemed the best way I could support her was to do the diet with her.

We did the diet for three months. During that time we both lost a considerable amount of weight--some fat, but also a lot of muscle due to insufficient protein. We ended up being fat skinny people, like Jared in the Subway commercials. During those three months, however, we experienced a variety of strange symptoms whose origin we could not identify.

We both suffered from dry skin and hair, brittle nails, mental sluggishness, low energy, sore joints, and a complete loss of sex drive. We had no idea what was happening to us. It took me many years to learn the cause of our strange symptoms: we weren't eating enough fat.

The extremely low-fat diets of the past are no longer seen as useful for general weight loss, and we are beginning to understand in more detail that lipids (fats) are crucial to our health and well-being. In fact, we now know which fats are good for us and which ones can cause diabetes, cancer, arthritis, and arteriosclerosis. We know that certain fats are crucial in the development of the fetus and newborn, while an excess of others can retard intellectual development.

Before we go any further, however, let's dispel one of the most persistent health myths: dietary intake of cholesterol does not result in high blood serum cholesterol. Contrary to what the food industry would have you believe, the amount of cholesterol in the diet has only a very small impact on serum cholesterol levels, in the range of 2 to 3 percent. The primary sources of high blood serum cholesterol are saturated fat (animal fat) and trans-fatty acids (shortening and hydrogenated oils--processed fats that are solid at room temperature). The worst part of the false labeling about no- or low-cholesterol foods being "heart-healthy" is that these are very often the foods that are loaded with trans-fatty acids. Trans-fatty acids pose a serious health risk, especially for heart disease, and I'll talk more about this dangerous form of fat in the next installment in this series.

Structures and Functions of Lipids

Scientists refer to the family of fats as lipids, and this includes cholesterol, even though it isn't technically a fat. Lipids are composed of 12 to 20 carbon molecules. Lipids with no double bonds between the carbons are called saturated because each carbon has as many hydrogen molecules attached as is possible. An unsaturated fat has at least one double-bonded pair of carbons (monounsaturated), or more (polyunsaturated), with as many as six double bonds possible (DHA).

The last carbon in the chain is called the omega carbon. If the first double-bonded carbon pair occurs three carbons from the omega, it is called an omega-3 fatty acid. If the first double bond occurs six carbons from the omega, it is an omega-6 fatty acid, and the same pattern holds for the omega-9 fatty acids.

The human body cannot produce its own alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3) or linoleic acid (omega-6), which is why these are often referred to as essential fatty acids (EFAs). The healthy human body can produce all the other fatty acids it needs from these two essential lipids. Unfortunately, there are a variety of factors that can prevent the necessary conversions.

Types of Fats

Linoleic acid (omega-6): sunflower, sesame, corn, safflower oils.
GLA: Gamma-linolenic acid (omega-6): primrose, borage, black current seed oils.
Arachidonic acid (omega-6): animal fat, milk fat, eggs, squid, fish.
Alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3): flax, canola, pumpkin, hemp seeds, walnuts.
EPA (omega-3): cold water fish.
DHA (omega-3): cold water fish, deep sea algae.
Oleic acid (omega-9): most seeds, nuts, green leafy plants, olive and flax oils.
Saturated Fat (n/a): animal fat, some tropical oils (palm and coconut).
Trans-fatty acids (omega-3 & -6): hydrogenated oils, highly heated oils, some animal fats.

Lipids are crucial in the proper function of every living cell. If you could open every cell in the body, lay each cell's membrane flat, side by side, you could cover 10 football fields. From the air, it would look like an enormous oil slick. The fats we eat determine the health status of these membranes. Trans-fatty acids, for example, make these membranes stiff and rigid, rather than soft and flexible, and this affects the health and function of the cell.

Fatty acids also are vital for the healthy formation and function of myelin, the protective covering of nerve cells. Nearly 75 percent of myelin is composed of fatty acids. Because these fats are acquired from the foods we eat, too little fat, unhealthy fats, or a poor balance of fats can compromise the function of our nerve cells, causing messages to be sluggish, misdirected, or sent in error. Evidence suggests that treatment with fatty acids can alleviate the symptoms of some nerve cell based diseases, such as MS.

Since we are talking about nerve function, did you know that the seat of nerve function, the brain, is 60 percent fat? Doctors used to believe that diet had little impact on brain function, but now we know that dietary lipids have a profound effect on brain function, especially in infants and children. Proper fatty acid consumption, especially from the omega-3 family, is crucial for brain size, brain cell growth, and learning capabilities; deficiencies in the diet can create problems in all three areas.

Prostaglandins

When a cell is activated to transmit information, fatty acids are released that are quickly transformed into hormone-like substances which can produce a variety of profound effects on functions throughout the body and brain. These substances (first discovered in the prostate gland) are called prostaglandins. There are three important prostaglandin series with which we need to be concerned: PGE1, PGE2, and PGE3.

PGE1 is formed from linoleic acid (omega-6). It is anti-inflammatory and immune system enhancing. Research has shown the PGE1 pathway to be important in depression, MS, ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), schizophrenia, and PMS-related mood changes. For many of us, this prostaglandin is important because it can reduce the pain and swelling of arthritis.

PGE2 is highly inflammatory and is formed from arachidonic acid. PGE2 can cause swelling, a lower pain threshold, and higher blood viscosity (thicker blood that clots quicker). Arachidonic acid can also produce leukrotrienes, substances that are 1,000 to 10,000 times more inflammatory than histamine, the substance associated with allergies and colds. PGE2 is not desirable in high quantities, but it does serve a variety of purposes that contribute to overall health (for example, PGE2 contributes to blood clotting when we are cut, preventing an extreme loss of blood that could endanger our lives). Too much PGE2 production, a common result of Western diets, causes this bodily messenger to become problematic.

PGE3 is formed from EPA and DHA, omega-3 fatty acids found primarily in cold-water fish, or converted from alpha-linolenic acid. This series of prostaglandin is mildly anti-inflammatory and immune system enhancing. Its greatest benefit seems to be in its ability to counter the effects of the PGE2 series substances. EPA and DHA can also reduce arachidonic acid in the cells, which circumvents the whole problem of its conversion to PGE2.

Conclusion

From this brief introduction to lipids, I hope it is clear that fats are crucial in our diets. Further, it should be apparent that consuming the right fats while reducing the bad fats is very important to physical as well as mental health.

For most of our history as a species, we ate a diet of about 1:1 to 1:3 omega-3 fatty acids to omega-6 fatty acids. These ratios are seen as optimal for our health. The current American diet, however, is in the neighborhood of a 1:30 ratio. Some people have been tested to have a ratio of nearly 1:100. Highly processed foods, animals raised on grain instead of grasses, and depletion of soil nutrients through use of chemical fertilizers have all contributed to this horrible imbalance.

In the next two columns, I will examine the bad fats and how to minimize their consumption or reduce their negative effects on our health, and then the good fats and how to reap the benefits of the most current research into fatty acid nutrition. Proper fatty acid nutrition can alleviate a variety of health issues, from depression to arthritis, from dry, itchy skin to preventing some forms of cancer. It just takes a little knowledge and the discipline to change our diets.

Omega-3 Fats Are Good for Your Mood

A new study has found that the blood level of omega-3 fats is a good predictor of mood. Those with lower levels of omega-3 fats tended to exhibit more symptoms of depression, while those with higher levels reported better mood status. This isn't really news to many of us, but it's more support for using omega-3 fats as an initial treatment for depression before using pharmaceuticals.

In a study of 106 healthy volunteers, researchers found that participants who had lower blood levels of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids were more likely to report mild or moderate symptoms of depression, a more negative outlook and be more impulsive. Conversely, those with higher blood levels of omega-3s were found to be more agreeable.

"A number of previous studies have linked low levels of omega-3 to clinically significant conditions such as major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, substance abuse and attention deficit disorder," said Sarah Conklin, Ph.D., a postdoctoral scholar with the Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine Program in the department of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. "However, few studies have shown that these relationships also occur in healthy adults. This study opens the door for future research looking at what effect increasing omega-3 intake, whether by eating omega-3 rich foods like salmon, or taking fish-oil supplements, has on people's mood."
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Comparisons were made by analyzing levels of omega-3 fatty acids in participants' blood and comparing that data to the participants' scores on three accepted tests for depression, impulsiveness and personality. The amount of omega-3 circulating in blood reflects dietary intake of the fatty acid. The study did not require participants to make changes in their normal diet habits.

This appears to be a well-conducted study.

For those of you at home struggling with weight issues, omega-3 fats (especially fish oil) have been shown to reduce cholesterol, improve the body's ability to process sugars (better insulin sensitivity), improve brain function, ease joint pain, reduce the risk of some forms of cancer, and so on.

This study is further proof that omega-3 fats/fish oil can also improve mood, which makes it an important supplement for those who are depressed about their weight. If you eat because you are depressed (and a lot of people do), omega-3 fats might help reduce the depression and give you more control over your eating.

Most of us who are trainers are already trying to get our clients to eat salmon or take fish oil supplements, so this is just another reason to give them for doing so.

New Study Questions Glycemic Index Usefulness

A new study appearing in the February issue of the British Journal of Nutrition suggests that glycemic index has no correlation with blood-sugar levels.

The study relied on food diaries from more than 1,000 people over five years. Researchers looked at their self-reported intake of high- and low-glycemic foods. Blood sugar levels were tested only twice during the study period. They found no significant correlation between the glycemic index of foods and the blood-sugar levels of participants.

[D]iabetes researcher Elizabeth Mayer-Davis of the University of South Carolina says the use of the index should be ended altogether in favor of more traditional methods of losing weight and reducing the risk of diabetes--eating less and exercising more.

"The glycemic index is sufficiently flawed as an index that it is not helpful for scientists or people trying to create a healthy diet," Mayer-Davis said.

First of all, self-reporting over five years is not likely to be very accurate. Second, testing blood sugar only twice during that time is moronic at best. Third, anyone who has been following the research already knows that glycemic index is only useful as a rough guideline and that an insulin index is what is needed to create a diabetes-prevention diet.

But hey, I'm just a personal trainer.

Here is what the most current research indicates:
* Carbohydrates raise insulin levels.
* Fiber reduces the digestion rate of carbohydrates and slows blood sugar release, which controls insulin secretion. This makes whole grains and vegetables the best sources of carbohydrates.
* Milk proteins are low glycemic by highly insulinemic. Diabetics and dieters should avoid milk and yogurt in the absence of fiber.
* Carbs and protein together increase insulin more than either one separately. If you are diabetic or seeking to lose bodyfat, always consume fiber with meals.
* Fat and carbs together should be avoided at all times.
* Regular exercise helps the body control insulin levels.
* Some supplements can help the body control blood sugar (and therefore, insulin): alpha lipoic acid, cinnamon, fiber, fish oil, and chromium picolinate.

When in doubt, look to sports nutrition for good information rather than the dietetic association or the diabetes association. Both groups tend to be hopelessly behind in knowing the most current research.