Organic food to have longer ‘life’

Posted on June 30, 2015 by Stone Hearth News

 

A new method keeps salmon fresh for a whole month, without the use of chemicals.
The technology is called superchilling, and it lies somewhere between freezing the fish and cooling it down. Now it is about to provide useful help to organic food producers.
This method of conserving food was developed in order to maintain fresh food quality over a long period of time, thus reducing the amount of food that ends up in the bin rather than in our stomachs.
Now it is going to be tested on ecological salmon and meat, and the hope is that it will make a difference to the shopping habits of ‘purpose-driven food consumers’.
The underlying thinking is that people who buy ecological food are more concerned about the environment and thus are more aware of emissions and resource utilisation than those who buy ‘ordinary’ raw materials,” says project manager Michael Bantle of SINTEF.
In fact, the technology is not widely used by ‘conventional’ food producers, because supermarket chains tend to prioritise the cheapest and simplest methods of chilling.

Joint research effort for small companies
SINTEF is going to test the method on Norwegian ecological raw materials among other products, as part of the European Union project SUS-Organic, which is aimed at helping smaller companies that produce organic food.
“These small companies don’t have the resources to develop and demonstrate the potential of superchilling, so that superchilled food can start to be accepted by consumers. This makes it a rather idealistic project,” says the SINTEF scientist.
For organic companies, it is particularly important that their products can be given a longer shelf life without the need for chemicals. This method will enable them to even out seasonal variations and supply their customers all the year round, since many of them do not produce continuously and therefore need to warehouse more stock, and for longer.

Tonnes of food go to waste
In Norway, hundreds of tonnes of food a year are thrown out every year, a figure that includes organic foods. The situation is the same
all over Europe, and this has inspired the European Union to look for solutions to the problem. If we can prolong the time during which food is regarded as perfectly fresh, this will help to reduce the food waste ‘mountain’.
“The initiative is very positive,” says Michael Bantle. “We already know that superchilling is an efficient method, and if we can demonstrate that if it can increase the shelf-life of organic produced foods as well as it does for conventional foodstuffs, we believe that there will be a market for superchilled products.
“We hope and believe that consumers who buy organic foods are more concerned about conserving resources than the average consumer. If we can manage our food better, we can also produce less even as we supply more markets. Today, every single Norwegian throws out an average of a kilo of food a week.”

Can be profitable – for shops too
The scientist also believes that the method can be profitable for food stores as well. They can advertise superchilled organic food as a mark of quality and demonstrate that they are showing social responsibility for a better environment and a reduction in wasted food.
“Is there anything to suggest that superchilling would not be suitable for organic salmon, for example? “
“No, but we know that among other things, organic salmon contain a higher proportion of marine lipids, which protect the body from cardiovascular disease, among other illnesses. They have also been fed less antibiotics and medicines. This may have some influence on how they respond to superchilling,” says Bantle.
“What we are hoping is that there will not be any difference. If that turns out to be the case, we can be fairly certain that superchilling will be adopted. In the long run, this could lead to more producers wishing to employ this technology, so that it can also be used to a greater extent on foodstuffs that have been conventionally produced. Longer shelf-life simply offers environmental benefits irrespective of whether or not the food is organic.
“The supermarket chains ought to have invested more in cold-stores that are capable of keeping both fish and meat superchilled at quite stable temperatures. Unfortunately, this is not being done today because these chains prioritise the simplest and cheapest solutions. However, I hope that this method will contribute to the adoption of the technology,” says Bantle.

Superchilling is also climate-friendly
Bantle has a number of explanations for why superchilling has not yet been adopted by food retailers: unfortunately, their customers’ habit of throwing out food has certain advantages for them; it increases demand, and sales increase.
The EU’s regulations regarding what can be classified as fresh or frozen also need to be revised. Today, superchilled food is regarded as frozen rather than fresh, even if it is of identical quality to fresh food. This ought to be changed, believes the SINTEF scientist.
Another reason is that transport is simply too cheap today, which means that producers can pay to freight large quantities of ice:
Today, fresh salmon are transported in boxes that contain about 30 per cent ice. They are then sent southwards to Europe, and by air to countries such as Japan. This ice could be eliminated by superchilling the salmon, because in this state, the ice is inside the fish itself. The weight reduction reduces fuel consumption, which in turn means lower CO2 emissions.

Facts about superchilling:
Superchilling involves cooling the salmon to about -2.5 degrees Celsius, i.e. to just below the temperature at which it begins to freeze. At -2.5 degrees below zero, the fish is not completely frozen. It thus retains its quality of freshness, and will not be perceived or experienced as a thawed frozen foodstuff.
• Fish keep their fresh quality for longer – as much as a month.
• This means lower CO2 emissions.
• Less food is discarded because the shelf life can be as long as 30 days.
• One challenge concerns how to put an exact sell-by date on superchilled food, because this will depend on the ability of the ice to keep the temperature constant.

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Follow these topics: Nutrition: Food: Organic

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To shed weight, go vegan: Journal of General Internal Medicine

 

Posted on June 30, 2015 by Stone Hearth News

     

Review of vegetarian diet studies highlights benefit of vegan-eating plans
People on a vegetarian diet, and especially those following a vegan one that includes no animal products, see better results than dieters on other weight-reducing plans. In fact, they can lose around two kilograms more on the short term, says Ru-Yi Huang of E-Da Hospital in Taiwan after reviewing the results of twelve diet trials. The findings¹ appear in the Journal of General Internal Medicine², published by Springer.

Huang’s review includes twelve randomized controlled trials, involving 1,151 dieters who followed a specific eating regime for between nine and 74 weeks. It is the first study to combine the findings from various independent projects that weighed up the results of vegetarian diets against other eating plans. These include the Atkins diet, and ones recommended by the American Diabetes Association or the US National Cholesterol Education Program.

Overall, individuals assigned to the vegetarian diet groups lost significantly more weight (around 2.02 kilograms) than dieters who ate meat and other animal products. Vegetarians who followed a vegan diet lost even more weight. Comparatively, they lost around 2.52 kilograms more than non-vegetarian dieters. Vegetarians who do consume dairy products and eggs lost around 1.48 kilograms more than those on a non-vegetarian diet. People following vegetarian diets that prescribe a lower than normal intake of calories (so-called energy restriction) also shed more kilograms than those without any such limitations being placed on their eating habits.

According to Huang, the abundant intake of whole grains, fruits and vegetables might play a role in the favorable results seen in vegetarian diets. Whole-grain products and vegetables generally have low glycemic index values and don’t cause blood sugar levels to spike. Fruits are rich in fiber, antioxidants, minerals and protective chemicals that naturally occur in plants. Whole-grain products contain soluble fiber. Such so-called good fiber helps to delay the speed by which food leaves the stomach and ensures good digestion. It also allows enough nutrients to be absorbed while food moves through the intestines. Several studies have reported that fiber consumption helps with weight loss.
“Vegetarian diets are more effective than non-vegetarian diets for weight loss,” says Huang, who added that longer term intervention trials are needed to investigate the effect of vegetarian diets on weight control and cardio-metabolic risk.

References:
1. Huang, R-H. et al (2015). Vegetarian Diets and Weight Reduction: a Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Journal of General Internal Medicine. DOI 10.1007/s11606-015-3390-7
2. The Journal of General Internal Medicine is the official journal of the Society for General Internal Medicine.

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Order of food during a meal may influence blood sugar

 

Posted on June 25, 2015 by Stone Hearth News

     

(Reuters Health) – Overweight and obese people with type 2 diabetes may feel better after a meal if they start it off with vegetables or proteins and end with the carbs, suggests a new study of 11 people.
Finishing the broccoli and chicken before tucking into bread and fruit juice was tied to a lower rise in blood sugar levels over the next two hours, compared to eating the same foods in the opposite order, researchers report in Diabetes Care.

“When we saw the result, we were really encouraged that this is something that could potentially benefit people,” said Dr. Louis Aronne, the study’s senior author from Weill Cornell Medical College in New York.

Approximately 29 million Americans – about 9 percent of the U.S. population – have diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 30 percent of those people are undiagnosed.

Type 2 is the most common form of diabetes and is often linked to obesity. In type 2 diabetes, the body’s cells are resistant to the hormone insulin, or the body doesn’t make enough of it. Insulin helps the body’s cells use glucose in the blood for fuel.
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Athletes should drink only when thirsty, according to new guidelines

 

Posted on June 29, 2015 by Stone Hearth News

 

MAYWOOD, Ill. – At least 14 deaths of marathon runners, football players and other athletes have been attributed to a condition called exercise-associated hyponatremia, which results from drinking too much water or sports drinks.

But there’s an easy way to prevent hyponatremia, according to new guidelines from an international expert panel: Simply put, drink only when you’re thirsty.

“Using the innate thirst mechanism to guide fluid consumption is a strategy that should limit drinking in excess and developing hyponatremia while providing sufficient fluid to prevent excessive dehydration,” according to the guidelines, published in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine.
Loyola University Medical Center sports medicine physician James Winger, MD, is a member of the 17-member expert panel that wrote the guidelines. Dr. Winger, who has published studies on hyponatremia in athletes, is an associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine of Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. Corresponding author of the guidelines is Tamara Hew-Butler, DPM, PhD, of Oakland University in Rochester, Mi.

Exercise-associated hyponatremia (EAH) occurs when drinking too much overwhelms the ability of the kidneys to excrete the excess water load. Sodium in the body becomes diluted. This leads to swelling in cells, which can be life-threatening.

Symptoms of mild EAH include lightheadedness, dizziness, nausea, puffiness and gaining weight during an athletic event. Symptoms of severe EAH include vomiting, headache, altered mental status (confusion, agitation, delirium, etc.), seizure and coma.

EAH has occurred during endurance competitions such as marathons, triathlons, canoe races and swimming; military exercises; hiking; football; calisthenics during fraternity hazing; and even yoga and lawn bowling, the guidelines said.

Athletes often are mistakenly advised to “push fluids” or drink more than their thirst dictates by, for example, drinking until their urine is clear or drinking to a prescribed schedule. But excessive fluid intake does not prevent fatigue, muscle cramps or heat stroke.

“Muscle cramps and heatstroke are not related to dehydration,” Dr. Winger said. “You get heat stroke because you’re producing too much heat.”

Modest to moderate levels of dehydration are tolerable and pose little risk to otherwise healthy athletes. An athlete can safely lose up to 3 percent of his or her body weight during a competition due to dehydration without loss of performance, Dr. Winger said.

The guidelines say EAH can be treated by administering a concentrated saline solution that is 3 percent sodium – about three times higher than the concentration in normal saline solution.
The guidelines are published in an article titled “Statement of the Third International Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia Consensus Development Conference, Carlsbad, California, 2015.”

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Oral Presence of Carbohydrate and Caffeine in Chewing Gum: Independent and Combined Effects on Endurance Cycling Performance.

 

Posted on June 27, 2015 by Stone Hearth News

 

Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2015 Jun 24. [Epub ahead of print]
Oral Presence of Carbohydrate and Caffeine in Chewing Gum: Independent and Combined Effects on Endurance Cycling Performance.
Oberlin-Brown KT1, Siegel R, Kilding AE, Laursen PB.
Author information
1High Performance Sport New Zealand, Auckland, New Zealand.

Abstract

The oral presence of carbohydrate (CHO) and caffeine (CAF) may independently enhance exercise performance, but their influence on performance during prolonged exercise is less known.

AIM:

To determine the independent and combined effects of CHO and CAF administered in chewing gum during a cycling time-trial (TT) following prolonged exercise.

METHOD:

Eleven male cyclists (32.2 ± 7.5 y, 74.3 ± 6.8 kg, 60.2 ± 4.0 ml·kg-1·min-1 O2peak) performed 4 experimental trials consisting of 90-min constant-load cycling at 80% of their second ventilatory threshold (207 ± 30 W), followed immediately by a 20-km TT. Under double-blinded conditions, cyclists received placebo (PLA), CHO, CAF, or a combined (CHO+CAF) chewing gum at 0, 5, 10, and 15-km points of the TT.

RESULTS:

Overall TT performance was similar across experimental and PLA trials (%Mean Difference ±90%CL: 0.2 ±2.0%, 0.4 ±2.2%, 0.1 ±1.8% for CHO, CAF and CHO+CAF). Compared with PLA, mean power output tended to be higher in the first two quarters of the TT with CHO (1.6 ±3.1 and 0.8 ±2.0%) and was substantially improved in the last two quarters during CAF and CHO+CAF trials (4.2 ±3.0 and 2.0 ±1.8%). There were no differences in average heart rate (ES <0.2) and only small changes in blood glucose (ES 0.2), which were unrelated to performance. Blood lactate was substantially higher post TT for CAF and CHO+CAF (ES >0.6).

CONCLUSION:

Following prolonged constant-load cycling, the oral presence of CHO and CAF in chewing gum, independently or in combination, did not improve overall performance, but did influence pacing.

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In Defense of Fiber: How Changing Your Diet Changes Your Gut Bacteria

 

Posted on June 27, 2015 by Stone Hearth News

 

You no longer live in a world where you can pretend you’re only eating for one; the trillions of bacteria in your gut, we now know, also feed on what you put in your mouth—and they behave very differently depending on what that is.

It’s increasingly clear that the composition of your gut bacteria likely influences your risk for many health problems, from obesity and type-2 diabetes and even certain autoimmune diseases. Scientists are hard at work trying to determine how and why that’s that case, as well as which bacteria are beneficial—and how to protect them. A recent study published in The BMJ adds to the growing evidence that fibermight be a critical gut-nourishing nutrient. (Unfortunately, less than 3% of Americans eat the government-recommended amount daily.)

“You really hold the reins to guiding this community [of bacteria] through the choices you make,” says Justin L. Sonnenburg, PhD, associate professor in the department of microbiology and immunology at Stanford University School of Medicine and author of The Good Gut. Sonnenburg was not involved with this study, but research from his lab also suggests that fiber plays a big role in promoting good bacteria.

The authors of the new study wanted to look at what changes in diet do to one particular gut microbe species: Akkermansia muciniphila—a strain that’s been associated with leanness and better glucose tolerance in mice.

  

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The majority of amateur athletes undergoing hypoxic training are not advised by specialists

Posted on June 26, 2015 by Stone Hearth News

 

Physical performance after periods of hypoxic training – in low-oxygen conditions – has become a matter of growing controversy within the scientific community. An international study, with the help of Spanish researchers, compared professional and amateur athletes’ knowledge and understanding of this type of training According to the results, just 25% of amateurs are assessed and monitored by specialists.

The most popular way of training in low-oxygen conditions is known as intermittent hypoxic training. This consists of creating natural or artificial conditions that result in increased oxygen deficiency in the subject either when they are exercising or at rest.
The technique has proved to be efficient in improving oxygen transfer in some sportspeople and, consequently, in improving their physical performance. However, this cannot be extrapolated to all the cases in which this type of training has been used.

Therefore, a study published in the journal Physiology & Behaviour involving Spanish researchers from the Faculty of Biology’s Department of Physiology and Immunology at the University of Barcelona (UB) and the University of Lleida’s National Institute of Physical Education, aimed to compare professional and amateur athletes’ use, methodology, knowledge and understanding of hypoxic training.

“Medical and scientific monitoring and regulation of the physiological responses to exposure to this type of training is not all that widespread among amateurs. Only 25% make use of it as opposed to 98% of professionals,” lead researcher Jesús Álvarez-Herms, of the UB, explained to SINC.
According to the authors, the data corresponds to the fact that professional athletes bear certain aspects very much in mind, such as nutrition to control breathlessness and avoid possible increased deficiencies. For instance, if professional sportspeople undergo hypoxic training they seriously consider using iron supplements. In contrast, amateurs – for the most part – follow programmes on their own, without specialist monitoring.

As a matter of fact, the lack of monitoring of their hypoxic training can lead to certain health problems for the sportspeople. “The risk that may be run is connected with individuals’ low tolerance to altitude,” indicated Álvarez-Herms, which relates to an increase in breathlessness, the onset of anaemia and loss of muscle mass as the possible adverse effects of hypoxia.

The differences in regulation between professionals and amateurs suggest that the latter group follow hypoxic training programmes “which they are responsible for themselves or which are assessed by people who are not fully trained in the area. The consequences of this are increased health risks and the possibility that their efforts will prove to be ineffective,” added the scientist.

Professional sportspeople: more cautious with their results

In order to conduct the study, the experts drew up a questionnaire with 17 questions, which was completed by a total of 203 sportspeople – 95 professionals and 108 amateurs – from different sporting disciplines (cycling, triathlon and endurance running) during the 2013-2014 season.
For the group of amateur sportspeople, the researchers selected athletes of a good standard with high physical performance levels, who did not take part in international events, but participated in Spanish tournaments and elite cycling races.

In general, a higher percentage of professional endurance sportspeople expose themselves to hypoxia to aid physical improvement – 84% of professionals as opposed to 19% of amateurs,” Álvarez-Herms explained.

The questionnaires show that all the sportspeople go through hypoxic training because they are confident that it improves their performance. However, professionals are less optimistic than amateurs in this regard.

“Higher level athletes believed their performance would improve by between 5% and 9%, whilst amateur athletes anticipated an improvement of between 10% and 48%,” stated Álvarez-Herms. A possible explanation for this is that the scope for physical improvement in professional sportspeople is smaller than in amateurs and therefore they are not as capable of improving.

The authors indicate that tailoring training and the use of hypoxia to each individual is key, stating: “The main recommendation we would make to sportspeople undergoing altitude training is to evaluate their individual physiological and physical response to altitude.”

According to the expert, the conclusions drawn from the study show “a significant difference in scientific application and professional monitoring between amateur and professional sportspeople with regard to the hypoxic technique. This leads to an even greater gulf in performance between sportspeople.”

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The age of inactivity: How laziness is killing us

 

Posted on June 27, 2015 by Stone Hearth News

 

 

Two thousand years ago, Hippocrates, the Father of Modern Medicine, hit the nail on the head. He said, that if we all had “the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health”. Bingo.

Obviously then, being a species of great intellect, over the next two millennia we took on his sensible advice, integrating exercise into our daily life and cashing in on the rewards for our bodies and minds. Hmm, maybe we didn’t quite all get that memo. Instead something else happened and physical inactivity grew into the fourth largest global killer in the world (according to the World Health Organisation), with some claiming it takes more lives than smoking, diabetes and obesity combined.

Yes, physical inactivity has its price tags. It is linked to the development of chronic health problems like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, depression, dementia and cancer. It can make us feel bad about ourselves, guilty and frustrated, appeased only with the ever alluring reward of inactivity – comfort, rest and stress-free. Our creaking NHS too gets a bill that would make anyone wince reaching for their wallet – somewhere between £8 and £20 billion per year through both the direct and indirect healthcare costs including that on the economy. Ouch.

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Forced Aerobic Exercise Enhances Motor Recovery After Stroke: A Case Report.

 

Posted on June 27, 2015 by Stone Hearth News

 

Am J Occup Ther. 2015 Jul-Aug;69(4):6904210010p1-6904210010p8.
Forced Aerobic Exercise Enhances Motor Recovery After Stroke: A Case Report.
Linder SM1, Rosenfeldt AB2, Rasanow M3, Alberts JL4.
Author information
1Susan M. Linder, PT, DPT, NCS, is Research Scientist, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH; linders@ccf.org.
2Anson B. Rosenfeldt, PT, DPT, MBA, is Senior Physical Therapist, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH.
3Matthew Rasanow is Research Assistant, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH.
4Jay L. Alberts, PhD, is Staff, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Cleveland Clinic, and Investigator, Cleveland FES Center, L. Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, Cleveland, OH.

Abstract
OBJECTIVE:


Previously, we demonstrated that forced aerobic exercise (FE) increases the pattern of neural activation in Parkinson’s disease. We sought to evaluate whether FE, when coupled with repetitive task practice, could promote motor recovery poststroke.

METHOD:

A 46-yr-old man with ischemic stroke exhibited chronic residual upper-extremity deficits, scoring 35/66 on the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) at baseline. He completed 24 training sessions comprising 45 min of FE on a motorized stationary bicycle followed by 45 min of upper-extremity repetitive task practice.

RESULTS:

From baseline to end of treatment, the FMA score improved by 20 points, perceived level of recovery on the Stroke Impact Scale increased by 20 percentage points, and cardiovascular function measured by peak oxygen uptake improved 30%. These improvements persisted 4 wk after the intervention ceased.

CONCLUSION:

FE may be a safe and feasible rehabilitation approach to augment recovery of motor and nonmotor function while improving aerobic fitness in people with chronic stroke.

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Girls at Higher Risk for Overuse Injuries in High School Sports

 

Posted on June 24, 2015 by Stone Hearth News

 

Newswise — COLUMBUS, Ohio – A new study performed by researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center shows that when it comes to overuse injuries in high school sports, girls are at a much higher risk than boys. Overuse injuries include stress fractures, tendonitis and joint pain, and occur when athletes are required to perform the same motion repeatedly.

The study published in April in the Journal of Pediatrics. Dr. Thomas Best analyzed 3,000 male and female injury cases over a seven year period across 20 high school sports such as soccer, volleyball, gymnastics and lacrosse.

Best and his team found the highest rate of overuse injuries occurred in girls track (3.82), followed by girls field hockey (2.93) and girls lacrosse (2.73). Overuse injuries in boys were most found in swimming and diving (1.3).

“These young people spend more time playing sports both in competition and in practice. So, there’s a correlation there between the amount of time that they’re playing and the increased incidence of injuries,” said Best, who is also a professor and Pomerene chair in Ohio State’s department of family medicine.

The participation and intensity of high school athletics has increased over the past decade. According to Best, some high school athletes spend more than 18 hours a week participating in athletics and many participate in multiple sports concurrently.

Best says the lower leg is the most common site of overuse injuries, followed by the knee and then the shoulder. He recommends teen athletes should vary their movement and play more than one sport. He also tells his patients to make rest and nutrition a priority.

“During this point of their lives, this is when girls are developing bones at the greatest rate,” Best said. “It’s incredibly important that they’re getting the proper amounts of calcium and vitamin D.”
Among athletes, overuse injuries account for half of all athletic injuries and twice as many visits to sports medicine physicians than acute trauma. These injuries are known to be more prevalent in children ages 13-17.

Our other posts about high school sports injuries

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For diabetics, It’s the movement, not the fitness, that seems to matter

 

Posted on June 24, 2015 by Stone Hearth News

 

For many diabetics who follow advice to exercise, working out doesn’t seem to make them any fitter. But that doesn’t mean the exercise isn’t helping, researchers said.

A secondary analysis of participants in an exercise-in-diabetes trial found that, between those whose fitness did and didn’t improve, there was an almost identical decrease in HbA_1C levels in the blood, about 0.26 percentage points, according to Ambarish Pandey, MD, of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, and colleagues.

In fact, research shows that 67.3% of women and 58.7% of men gave an estimated intake that wasn’t “physiologically plausible,” meaning they reported either so many or so few calories that they “could not have survived” on the values they presented, according to Archer. He and his colleagues published their review in Mayo Clinic Proceedings on June 9.

“The essence of science is the ability to discern fact from fiction,” said Archer in an interview with MedPage Today. “But in nutrition and obesity research there is no accountability — the health of our population is at risk.” He added that relying on NHANES for accurate dietary data is “pure pseudoscience.”

  

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Here’s Why Fitness Trackers Are Here to Stay: Doctors and Insurers Love Them

 

Posted on June 24, 2015 by Stone Hearth News

 

After Fitbit held an explosive IPO last week, some observers asked if the wearable health movement is sustainable, or just a flash in the pan. I’ve been studying the market for some time, and I believe most signs point to wearable health tracking having serious long-term potential. In 2014, 90 million of the devices were sold, and demand continues to be strong. The folks at eMedcert have collected some more interesting data points as well:

• The annual smart wearable healthcare market volume will grow from $2 billion in 2014 to $41 billion in 2020, a compound annual growth rate of 65%. (CDW Healthcare)
• Over 80% of consumers said an important benefit of wearable tech is its potential to make healthcare more convenient (PwC)
• 68% of consumers would wear employer-provided wearables streaming anonymous data to an information pool in exchange for lower health insurance costs. (PwC)
• The wearable band market grew by 684% on a worldwide basis in the first half of 2014 compared with the first half of 2013. (Canalys)
• Today, 1 in 5 American’s own some type of wearable technology. (PwC)

When Fitbit, Jawbone and other health wearables came out, many viewed them as passing fads. But they struck a real chord not only with those who regularly exercise, but mainstream consumers too.
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Exercise as Chemo-brain Treatment Featured at Oncologists’ National Meeting

 

Posted on June 24, 2015 by Stone Hearth News

 

 

 

Cancer patients might feel their best if they simply maintain or only slightly increase their physical activity throughout chemotherapy instead of letting it decline, according to a University of Rochester scientist who presented data at the largest meeting of oncologists in the United States.

Karen M. Mustian, Ph.D., M.P.H., spoke of a study showing that a walking program and gentle resistance-band training at home reduced chronic inflammation that’s common among people with cancer receiving chemotherapy. The study’s personalized exercise prescription also significantly reduced cognitive impairment – known as chemo-brain — among the 619 study participants.
“To think that a very simple, low-cost, self-directed exercise prescription can create an anti-inflammatory response similar to a drug and protect against cognitive decline in people with cancer is innovative and very exciting,” said Mustian, an associate professor in the UR Departments of Surgery and Radiation Oncology, Cancer Control Clinical Research Unit and a Wilmot Cancer Institute researcher.

“Sometimes patients are encouraged to take it easy throughout their treatments. It’s often accepted that their physical activity will just naturally decline,” Mustian said. “But our study demonstrates that we need to strongly encourage them to maintain or increase their activity compared to what they were doing at the beginning of chemotherapy.”

Mustian’s team developed a specialized program called EXCAP (Exercise for Cancer Patients) several years ago and have been evaluating it in clinical trials. At the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting June 1, she presented findings from a phase III randomized study for early-stage cancer patients. Half received standard care (no prescribed exercise during chemotherapy) while the others received the EXCAP prescription. They wore a pedometer, walked daily, and used resistance bands as instructed.

At the start of cancer treatment, most study participants were walking about 4,000 steps a day, roughly the equivalent of two miles, which is considered sedentary. (Healthy people would need to walk about 5,000 steps daily to be low-active, 7,500 steps to be somewhat active, 10,000 steps to be active and 12,500 steps to be highly active.)

By the end of six weeks, however, the non-exercisers had dropped off to an average of about 3,800 steps (sedentary) but the exercisers were walking about 5,000 steps (low active). The EXCAP group also performed resistance band training five days a week for 10 minutes at a low to moderate intensity. The other group did not do any strength training. Non-exercisers not only lost mobility, but reported more brain fogginess and memory problems, and they had higher levels of blood inflammation, according to tests conducted during the study. Another interesting outcome, Mustian said, is that the exercisers who received chemotherapy in two-week cycles (as opposed to different timing) reported the greatest physiological and psychological benefits from the EXCAP prescription.
Also at the ASCO meeting in Chicago, Mustian’s colleague Michelle C. Janelsins, Ph.D., spoke to a large group of oncologists about her study confirming significant chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment among 366 breast cancer patients, compared to a control group of 366 people who did not have cancer. Janelsins is leading the largest study to date investigating the impact of cancer treatment on cognitive function.

A UR assistant professor of Surgery and Cancer Control, Janelsins has discovered that cognitive impairment in breast cancer is influenced by neurotransmitter signaling and longevity genes and leads to increased inflammation. She recently received a $2.3 million National Institutes of Health award to develop a mouse model and investigate treatments for chemo-brain.

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Follow these topics: Cancer: Chemo Brain, Exercise: Benefits

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Color of Urine to Be Valid Gauge for Hydration in Children

 

Posted on June 24, 2015 by Stone Hearth News

 

Newswise — FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Athletes and the military have used color charts to track hydration levels for years, and a new study in the European Journal of Nutrition by a U of A researcher found the same method of self-assessment is effective for children.
Stavros Kavouras, a leading expert in hydration and associate professor in the College of Education and Health Professions, along with seven collaborators, including Evan C. Johnson, U of A postdoctoral fellow, tested whether the 8-point urine color scale was a valid method for children aged 8 to 14 years old to assess their own hydration levels.

Their findings, published this spring, found that not only does the urine color scale apply to hydration levels in children, but that children are able to accurately use the chart to determine their own hydration levels.

“The establishment of an acute measurement tool would give an anchor to allow children to be more aware of their hydration status and to improve hydration practices,” Kavouras said.

A study in the American Journal of Public Health this month found that half of American children are inadequately hydrated, with boys showing the highest levels of dehydration.

“The need for valid hydration assessment within children is apparent because both U.S. and European children have been observed to fall short of daily water recommendations,” Kavouras said.

Mild dehydration in children has been linked to reduced cognitive functioning and is associated with poorer school performance in children.

Follow these topics: Nutrition: Hydration, Parenting, Pediatric Health

 

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Extreme Exercise Can Create Poisons in Your Blood: Int J Sports Med.

 

Posted on June 22, 2015 by Stone Hearth News

 

Int J Sports Med. 2015 May 5. [Epub ahead of print]
The Impact of a 24-h Ultra-Marathon on Circulatory Endotoxin and Cytokine Profile.
Gill SK1, Hankey J1, Wright A1, Marczak S1, Hemming K1, Allerton DM2, Ansley-Robson P2, Costa RJ3.
Author information
1Sport & Exercise Science Applied Research Group, Coventry University, Coventry, United Kingdom.
2Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
3Nutrition and Dietetics, Monash University, Notting Hill, Australia.

Abstract

The study aimed to determine circulatory endotoxin concentration, cytokine profile, and gastrointestinal symptoms of ultra-endurance runners (UER, n=17) in response to a 24-h continuous ultra-marathon competition (total distance range: 122-208 km) conducted in temperate ambient conditions (0-20°C) in mountainous terrain.

Body mass and body temperature were measured, and venous blood samples were taken before and immediately after competition.

Samples were analysed for gram-negative bacterial endotoxin, C-reactive protein, cytokine profile, and plasma osmolality.

Gastrointestinal symptoms were also monitored throughout competition.
Mean exercise-induced body mass loss was (mean±SD) 1.7±1.8% in UER.
Pre- and post-competition plasma osmolality in UER was 286±11 mOsmol·kg-1 and 286±9 mOsmol·kg-1, respectively.

Pre- to post-competition increases (p<0.05) were observed for endotoxin (37%), C-reactive protein (2 832%), IL-6 (3 436%), IL-1β (332%), TNF-α (35%), IL-10 (511%), and IL-8 (239%) concentrations in UER, with no change in the control group (CON; n=12) observed (p>0.05).
Gastrointestinal symptoms were reported by 75% of UER, with no symptoms reported by CON.
IL-10 (r=0.535) and IL-8 (r=0.503) were positively correlated with gastrointestinal symptoms.
A 24-h continuous ultra-marathon competition in temperate ambient conditions resulted in a circulatory endotoxaemia and pro-inflammatory cytokinaemia, counteracted by a compensatory anti-inflammatory response.

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Obesity, excess weight in U.S. continue upswing

Posted on June 22, 2015 by Stone Hearth News

     

 Obesity and excess weight, and their negative impact on health, have become a significant focus for physicians and other health-care experts in recent years.

But new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis shows that an escalation in the number of those considered obese or overweight in the United States continues, signaling an ongoing upward swing in chronic health conditions as well.

The study is available online June 22 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Compared with a similar study published in 1999 that estimated 63 percent of men and 55 percent of women age 25 and older were overweight or obese, the new data from 2007-12 indicate that nearly 75 percent of men and 67 percent of women now are overweight or obese.

“This is a wakeup call to implement policies and practices designed to combat overweight and obesity,” said the study’s first author, Lin Yang, PhD, a postdoctoral research associate in public health at the School of Medicine. “An effort that spans multiple sectors must be made to stop or reverse this trend that is compromising and shortening the lives of many.”

Adult Americans who are obese now outnumber those who are considered overweight, according to the new findings, which estimate that 67.6 million Americans over the age of 25 are obese and an additional 65.2 million are overweight.

In the new study, Yang and Graham A. Colditz, MD, DrPH, a disease-prevention expert and deputy director of the university’s Institute for Public Health, estimated the prevalence of obesity and those who are considered overweight, by gender, age and race/ethnicity. The sample size included 15,208 men and women aged 25 and older, which is representative of more than 188 million people.
Colditz also was a co-author on the earlier 1999 study, which used survey data collected from 1988-94.

Parsing the data in the new study, the researchers found that African-Americans have the highest rates of obesity, with 39 percent of black men and 57 percent of black women considered obese. The researchers also found that 17 percent of black women are extremely obese, meaning their body mass index is over 40, as are 7 percent of black men.

Among Mexican-Americans in the study, 38 percent of men and 43 percent of women are obese. For whites, 35 percent of men and 34 percent of women are obese.

The study points out that because clinical practice for the prevention and treatment of chronic conditions has focused on screening high-risk populations, people in higher-weight categories are more likely to be diagnosed with weight-associated diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis and some cancers.

The authors suggest that public health experts should focus efforts on risk-reducing strategies such as physical environment interventions, enhancing primary care efforts to prevent and treat obesity, and altering societal norms of behavior.

“Delivering these strategies is a priority to counter the burden of obesity on contemporary and future generations,” they noted.

Colditz, the Niess-Gain Professor of Surgery and associate director of prevention and control at Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, focuses much of his research on disease prevention.

“There are many things we can do to interrupt this worrisome and costly trend, and the benefits go well beyond what’s obvious to the eye,” Colditz said. “Some cancers, for example, can be prevented by eating a healthy diet, exercising and keeping weight in check. We need to do what we can to change behaviors of current and future generations to reverse this preventable societal burden.”
This work was funded by the Washington University School of Medicine Transdisciplinary Research on Energetics and Cancer Center, which is funded by the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Siteman Cancer Center, grant number U54 CA155496; The Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital, and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Yang L, Colditz GA. Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity in the United States, 2007-2012. JAMA Internal Medicine, published online June 22, 2015.

Washington University School of Medicine’s 2,100 employed and volunteer faculty physicians also are the medical staff of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals. The School of Medicine is one of the leading medical research, teaching and patient-care institutions in the nation, currently ranked sixth in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare.

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Fat, sugar cause bacterial changes that may relate to loss of cognitive function: Oregon State University

 

Posted on June 22, 2015 by Stone Hearth News

     

 CORVALLIS, Ore. – A study at Oregon State University indicates that both a high-fat and a high-sugar diet, compared to a normal diet, cause changes in gut bacteria that appear related to a significant loss of “cognitive flexibility,” or the power to adapt and adjust to changing situations.
This effect was most serious on the high-sugar diet, which also showed an impairment of early learning for both long-term and short-term memory.

The findings are consistent with some other studies about the impact of fat and sugar on cognitive function and behavior, and suggest that some of these problems may be linked to alteration of the microbiome – a complex mixture in the digestive system of about 100 trillion microorganisms.
The research was done with laboratory mice that consumed different diets and then faced a variety of tests, such as water maze testing, to monitor changes in their mental and physical function, and associated impacts on various types of bacteria. The findings were published in the journal Neuroscience, in work supported by the Microbiology Foundation and the National Science Foundation.
“It’s increasingly clear that our gut bacteria, or microbiota, can communicate with the human brain,” said Kathy Magnusson, a professor in the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine and principal investigator with the Linus Pauling Institute.

“Bacteria can release compounds that act as neurotransmitters, stimulate sensory nerves or the immune system, and affect a wide range of biological functions,” she said. “We’re not sure just what messages are being sent, but we are tracking down the pathways and the effects.”

Mice have proven to be a particularly good model for studies relevant to humans, Magnusson said, on such topics as aging, spatial memory, obesity and other issues.

In this research, after just four weeks on a high-fat or a high-sugar diet, the performance of mice on various tests of mental and physical function began to drop, compared to animals on a normal diet. One of the most pronounced changes was in what researchers call cognitive flexibility.

“The impairment of cognitive flexibility in this study was pretty strong,” Magnusson said. “Think about driving home on a route that’s very familiar to you, something you’re used to doing. Then one day that road is closed and you suddenly have to find a new way home.”

A person with high levels of cognitive flexibility would immediately adapt to the change, determine the next best route home, and remember to use the same route the following morning, all with little problem. With impaired flexibility, it might be a long, slow, and stressful way home.

This study was done with young animals, Magnusson said, which ordinarily would have a healthier biological system that’s better able to resist pathological influences from their microbiota. The findings might be even more pronounced with older animals or humans with compromised intestinal systems, she said.

What’s often referred to as the “Western diet,” or foods that are high in fat, sugars and simple carbohydrates, has been linked to a range of chronic illnesses in the United States, including the obesity epidemic and an increased incidence of Alzheimer’s disease.

“We’ve known for a while that too much fat and sugar are not good for you,” Magnusson said. “This work suggests that fat and sugar are altering your healthy bacterial systems, and that’s one of the reasons those foods aren’t good for you. It’s not just the food that could be influencing your brain, but an interaction between the food and microbial changes.”

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Thomas "Cornflake" LaManna to headline Rising Star Promotions on Saturday, July 25 at New Jersey Motorsports Park

 



Dr Baio with Jr Middle weight Thomas LaManna Millville, NJ (June 17, 2015)--On Saturday night, July 25, Thomas "Cornflake" LaManna will be back in action as Rising Star Promotions presents a night of professional boxing at the New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, New Jersey. LaManna will headline a 9-bout professional card when he takes part in a Jr. Middleweight bout scheduled for 8-rounds. LaManna of Millville, New Jersey has a record of 16-1 with 7 knockouts.   "This will be a great night of boxing and we are looking forward to showcasing some of the best local talent," said Debbie LaManna of Rising Star Promotions. "I want to thank the New Jersey Motorsports Park and and all the sponsors for making this event possible."  LaManna is eager to get back in the ring following his first professional setback.  That happened on March 13 when he was stopped by undefeated prospect Antoine Douglas in a bout that was nationally televised on Showtime's acclaimed ShoBox series. LaManna wasted no-time in getting back in the gym in an effort to redeem himself and has been training diligently between his home in Millville, New Jersey and New York City. "I have a chip on my shoulder and feel that I have something to prove to my fans, family, friends and most importantly myself. My last fight doesn't define who I am as a fighter but it defined me as man. I stepped up in competition and faced in my mind the best prospect in boxing.  I came up short but took it as a learning lesson and not a defeat,"said LaManna. "What better place to have my comeback fight than right in my hometown of Millville. This will be a great show." "I would like to thank my team, Rising Star Promotions and my sponsors for making this all happen for me.  I'm looking forward to getting back in the ring and take care of business." LaManna's opponent will be announced shortly. In the six-round co-feature, John Lennox (13-2, 5 KO's) of Carteret, New Jersey will see action in a Cruiserweight bout. In 4-round bouts: Edgar Flores of Philadelphia will make his pro debut against Alshamar Johnson (0-1) of Vineland, New Jersey in a Super Middleweight bout. Carlos Rosario (2-1, 1 KO) of Pennsauken, New Jersey will take on Joshua Arocho (3-10-4, 2 KO's) of Vineland, NJ in a battle of South Jersey based Lightweights. Quian Davis of Vineland, New Jersey will make his pro debut against William Gunter (0-1) of Lynchburg, VA in a Heavyweight bout. Marvin Johnson (0-0-1) of Millville, NJ will pro debuting Daniel Perez of Pittsburgh, PA Lightweight bout against an opponent to be named. Roberto Lopez (4-9-2, 1 KO) of Vineland, NJ will take on an opponent to be named in a Jr. Middleweight bout. Matthew Gonzalez (2-0) of Vineland, NJ will fight Eddie Edmond (2-4-2, 1 KO) of Newark, NJ in a Middleweight bout. Edgar Cortes (1-1) of Vineland, NJ will fight against an opponent to be named in a Super Bantamweight bout. Doors open: 5:30 First Bell 6:00pm Tickets: $40 GA & $60 Ringside Tickets can be purchased online at www.risingstarboxing.com The New Jersey Motorsports Park is located at  8000 Dividing Creek Rd. Millville NJ, 08332 About Rising Star Promotions: Rising Star Promotions was created with the intent of becoming a house hold name with the key objective of Rising Star Promotions being able to coordinate an array of diversified special events within the sports and entertainment industry, The CEO and partners at Rising Star Promotions feel that the opportunities for growth are endless. We would like to give opportunities to up and coming professional as well as amateur boxers that other promoters would not readily give opportunity to. The events that Rising Star plans to coordinate will provide much needed affordable, family-friendly sports entertainment.

Regardless of Fitness Gains, Exercise Can Help Diabetes Control, Trim Body Fat in Diabetics: UT Southwestern Medical Center Cardiologists

 

Posted on June 17, 2015 by Stone Hearth News

Newswise — DALLAS – June 17, 2015 – Diabetics who exercise can trim waist size and body fat, and control blood glucose, even if they don’t see cardiorespiratory benefits, new research by UT Southwestern Medical Center cardiologists shows.

Researchers found that waist circumference, percentage of body fat, and hemoglobin A1c levels − a test of long-term blood sugar − all improved in diabetic participants who exercised compared to those who did not. And the beneficial effects of exercise were seen whether they participated in aerobics, resistance training, or a combination of the two compared to a control group that did not exercise.
“What we observed is that exercise improves diabetes control regardless of improvement in exercise capacity,” said Dr. Jarett Berry, Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Clinical Sciences at UT Southwestern, and co-senior author of the study.

Following an exercise training program generally improves fitness. Researchers typically measure fitness by the ability of the respiratory system to exchange carbon dioxide and oxygen. The more you train, the better your ability to take in oxygen.

But a sub-group of exercisers, considered non-responders, are unable to improve their cardiorespiratory fitness levels despite diligent exercise, explained Dr. Ambarish Pandey, a cardiology fellow at UT Southwestern and first author on the study appearing in Diabetes Care. About 30 percent of exercisers are considered non-responders.

Using data from the Health Benefits of Aerobic and Resistance Training in Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes (HART-D) trial, researchers looked at whether non-responders who exercised saw improvements in their diabetes control.

“We were interested in the relationship between the change in cardiorespiratory fitness, or exercise capacity, and change in metabolic parameters,” said Dr. Berry, a preventive cardiologist and Dedman Family Scholar in Clinical Care.

Researchers divided people into four groups:

• Controls, who did not exercise;

• Individuals who did aerobic exercise;

• Individuals who did resistance training;

• Individuals who did a combination of aerobic exercise and resistance training.

The UT Southwestern data analysis found that hemoglobin A1c, waist circumference, and percentage of body fat all improved in the groups that exercised, regardless of whether the participants improved their cardiorespiratory fitness. This outcome was true even for those participants who were fitness non-responders − those whose ability to take in oxygen did not improve.

“This finding suggests that our definition of ‘non-responder’ is too narrow. We need to broaden our understanding of what it means to respond to exercise training,” Dr. Berry said.
The study proposes that exercise-training programs for people with Type 2 diabetes should measure improvements in glycemic control, waist circumference, and percentage of body fat.
Other UT Southwestern researchers who contributed to this study are: Dr. Darren McGuire, Professor of Internal Medicine, who holds the Dallas Heart Ball Chair for Research on Heart Disease in Women; Colby Ayers, Faculty Associate in Clinical Sciences; and Dr. Ian Neeland, Cardiology Fellow. Dr. McGuire reported receiving honoraria for trial leadership and consultation with GlaxoSmithKline, The Medicines Company, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Novo Nordisk, Orexigen, Cubist, Janssen, Eli Lilly, Bristol Myers Squibb, Astra Zeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Merck, Regeneron, Lexicon, and Eisai.

The HART-D study was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health.
 

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