- - European weblog on food, health and environment
Week 40 - 2007
Milk consumption is a risk factor
for prostate cancer in Western countries: evidence from cohort studies
We have previously found a positive
association between milk consumption and prostate cancer risk using meta-analysis to
analyze published case-control studies. In the present study, further meta-analysis was
conducted to estimate the summary relative risk (RR) between the consumption of milk and
dairy products and prostate cancer from cohort studies published between 1966- 2006. These
findings, together with the previous study, suggest that the consumption of milk and dairy
products increases the risk of prostate cancer. This is biologically plausible since milk
contains considerable amounts of fat, hormones, and calcium that are associated with
prostate cancer risk
Asia Pac J Clin Nutr.
2007;16(3):467-476
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Symptoms
Reduced By Dark Chocolate Consumption
RESEARCH carried out by Professor Steve
Atkin, pictured, HYMS's Professor of Endocrinology and Metabolism, suggests that a daily
dose of specially-formulated dark chocolate may help to cut chronic fatigue syndrome
symptoms. Patients in a pilot study found they had less fatigue if they eat dark chocolate
with a high cocoa content than with white chocolate dyed brown. Chronic fatigue syndrome
(CFS) and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) are both terms used to describe an important but
poorly understood condition that affects approximately 0.5% of the population. It is
characterised by more than six months of disabling fatigue, not relieved by rest, made
worse by activity, and a range of other symptoms - including pain, which cannot be
explained by another medical diagnosis, and which significantly impairs a person's ability
to do normal activities. Professor Atkin said the idea for the study came after a patient
reported feeling much better after swapping her normal milk chocolate for dark chocolate
with a high cocoa solid content.
Studying The Effects That Livestock
Antibiotics Have On Water And Soil?
To keep them healthy, farm animals such as
cattle, pigs, and even farmed fish are usually fed agricultural antibiotics. These can be
excreted in the animal’s faeces and, after time, and wash into water courses, which
can cause environmental problems.
Researchers identify genes that
increase rheumatoid arthritis risk
Researchers in the United States and Sweden
have identified a genetic region associated with increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis, a
chronic and debilitating inflammatory disease of the joints that affects an estimated 2.1
million Americans. The US arm of the study involved a long-time collaboration between
intramural researchers of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin
Diseases and other organizations. NIAMS is one of 27 institutes and centers at the
National Institutes of Health.
How Candida albicans transforms
from its normally benign form into life-threatening form
Singapore researchers have discovered new
molecular mechanisms that provide a more detailed understanding of how the normally benign
Dr. Jekyll-like fungus known as Candida albicans transforms into a serious and often
life-threatening Mr. Hyde-like form.
Every year, in Germany alone, around 7000
people wait for a new cornea to save their eyesight. But donor corneas are in short
supply. In an EU project, researchers have developed an artificial cornea which is to be
clinically tested in early 2008. A patient whose cornea is damaged through a congenital
malformation, hereditary disease or corrosion is at risk of going blind. One solution is
to implant a donor cornea. The central part of the natural cornea is removed in a circular
fashion, and the new cornea is inserted and sutured in place. A vast number of patients
are affected: every year, 40,000 people in Europe alone hope for a donor – often in
vain. Many attempts have therefore been made at producing artificial corneas, so far with
little success. This is due to the conflicting requirements imposed on the material: While
it has to grow firmly into the natural tissue at the edge, it must allow no cells to
deposit themselves at the center of the cornea, as this impairs the patient’s vision.
Cooked food weakens your immune system.
Many believe that cooking is needed for food to get rid of bacteria and make it more
digestible. True, there are a few vegetables that are more difficult for some to digest
raw, such as those in the cruciferous family (broccoli), but most foods do not become more
digestible once cooked.
Cholesterol
metabolism links early- and late-onset Alzheimer's disease
Researchers at Washington University School
of Medicine in St. Louis have uncovered evidence strengthening the case for another
potential cause of Alzheimer's. The finding also represents the first time scientists have
found a connection between early- and late-onset Alzheimer's.
The studies of statins and Alzheimer's have
generated quite a bit of controversy," Bu says. "Those that show positive
effects from statins seem to suggest that high cholesterol could increase the risk of
Alzheimer's disease. But other evidence contradicts this idea."
In fact, the brain needs a high
level of cholesterol !,
according to Bu. "The brain represents only about 2 percent of your body weight, but
actually has about 20 percent of your body's cholesterol," Bu says. "There is
strong evidence that cholesterol is important for synaptic function and is an essential
component of cell membranes in the brain, and I believe partial defects in the regulation
of cholesterol metabolism in the brain likely contribute to the development of
Alzheimer's."
Evidence of a relationship between
swimming babies and infections
Scientists of the GSF–National
Research Center for Environment and Health found indications for an association between
attendance of swimming pools in the first year of life and the frequency of infections.
Diarrhea and otitis media during the first year of life are especially noteworthy. No
increased risks were found for atopic diseases during the first six years.
Bilberry extract - can it help
prevent certain cancers?
A Leicester cancer research project, which
receives funding from Hope Against Cancer (formerly The Hope Foundation,) is investigating
whether an extract from bilberries can prevent or delay the onset of certain cancers.
Professor Andy Gescher, of the University of Leicester, is leading an investigation to
carry out clinical trials with the commercially produced substance Mirtoselect (extracted
from bilberries), with the cooperation of patients about to undergo surgery for colorectal
and liver cancer. Among his research team are two Allison Wilson Fellows whose work is
funded by Hope Against Cancer, Ms Sarah Thomasset and Mr Giuseppe Garcea. The research
project, which takes place in the University of Leicester’s Department of Cancer
Studies and Molecular Medicine and at the Leicester General Hospital, has already
established that in a laboratory model Mirtoselect decreases the development of colorectal
cancer. Now, working with Mr Dave Berry, Hepatobiliary surgeon at the General Hospital,
they are looking to see how much of the bilberry extract actually gets into human tissue
and whether there are changes in the tissue that may have been caused by the substance. If
so, then that indicates that taking the extract over a long period may be beneficial. If
not, then the researchers have to decide whether it is feasible to increase the dose and
whether it is right to go forward to a major clinical trial.
Deficiency of immune system
'peacekeeper' pinpointed in mice as cause of ulcerative colitis
In a series of mouse experiments,
researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health have pinpointed a specific immune
deficiency as the likely fundamental cause of ulcerative colitis, a chronic, sometimes
severe inflammatory disease of the colon or large intestine that afflicts half a million
Americans.
The Truth About Your Vitamins Being
Made in a Chemical Lab
Would you like to know if your vitamin C is
really vitamin C? Real whole food vitamin C has many health benefits to the body, while
“synthetics” are a different story. The best way to tell if a supplement will be
absorbed well is by looking at the ingredients on the label. If you see % Daily Value
levels over 40% for one serving, than it is a good indication that you are about to ingest
synthetic supplements which are not well absorbed and can damage your cells.
University study claims pollution
killing 25,000 Canadians a year
A University of B.C. study claims pollution
is killing 25,000 Canadians a year and costing the health care system more than $9
billion.
Study co-author David Boyd said Canadians are awash in toxic chemicals such as pesticides,
heavy metals, flame retardants and air pollution.
The Dangers of Formaldehyde in
Buildings and Homes
Formaldehyde (HCHO) is considered a strong
irritant and potent sensitizer. Inhalation of large amount of HCHO can cause severe
irritation of the upper respiratory tract and death.
Health Problems for Oprah--The Link
Between Soy and Thyroid Disease
The phytoestrogens found in soy products
are potent inhibitors of thyroid peroxidase, the enzyme the body needs to produce the
essential thyroid hormones T3 and T4.
A majority of those employed at the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) facility in Hampton have experienced one or more symptoms
and illnesses that have plagued the control room for years. Many air traffic controllers
believe the cause of so much illness is a fungus called Scopulariopsis and many of the
Hampton staff live in Fayette County.
Having children could reduce the risk of
getting breast cancer because cells with strong protective characteristics are transferred
from the baby in the womb to the mother, a study showed Tuesday.
People who eat rice have more nutritious
diets that are higher in 12 essential vitamins and minerals, including folic acid,
potassium and vitamin C and lower in saturated fat and added sugar, than the diets of
non-rice eaters.
Study suggests rethink on
breastmilk and allergies
A new University of Melbourne study has
found that exclusive breastfeeding of babies with a family history of allergies increases
their risk of developing asthma, eczema or food allergies in the long term.
http://uninews.unimelb.edu.au/articleid_4660.html
Work Stress May Lead to Breast
Cancer, Study Finds
Women who feel stressed at work are at a
higher risk of developing breast cancer, according to a new study. Researchers found that
women in more demanding jobs are 30 percent more likely to develop breast cancer than
those who feel they are on top of their work.
One Of The Mechanisms That Prevents
Spread Of Colon Cancer Discovered
The first step in the development of colon
cancer is the formation of benign tumours, called adenomas, in the intestine. Over time,
these tumours may progress to produce colon cancer if they undergo a series of mutations
and genetic alterations. Researchers at IRB Barcelona under the direction of Eduard
Batlle, ICREA researcher and head of IRB Barcelona’s Oncology Programme, have
discovered a new mechanism by which the benign tumour cells receive instructions to grow
in confined compartments, and no to invade other areas of the tissue. The description of
this new tumour suppression mechanism is reported in the scientific journal Nature
Genetics.
Major retail grocery chains all throughout
the United States are now stocking OnlySweet, a new sweetener which is based on Stevia. It
is about 300 times sweeter then regular table sugar, and is very low on the glycemic
index, making it an excellent alternative for diabetics.
Green Party MP Sue Kedgley says she is very
concerned to discover that 81 medicines which may be used by children and young people
contain the controversial additive aspartame, which has been linked to a range of adverse
reactions.
One of the biggest problems in the current
treatment of cancer is that the agents that are efficacious in the destruction of tumorous
cells are, at the same time, extremely toxic for the rest of the healthy cells and tissues
of the patient. To address the problem the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) is
seeking more specific treatments and studying the differences between tumorous cells and
healthy ones.
A research team from the Faculty of Medicine and Odontology is working on identifying
pharmacological agents that increase the therapeutic benefit of combinations of chemo-,
immune and radiotherapy agents in the treatment of cancer ailments. The aim of the
research team was to identify compounds that act on the metabolic pathways and processes
that take place differently depending whether a diseased tissue of a patient or healthy
tissue is involved; in this way selective action can be undertaken, increasing the
sensitivity of treatments for diseased tissues without damaging healthy cells or tissues
at the same time.
Indian bug is the ancestor of
Crohn's disease pathogen
An Indian team of researchers led by Seyed
E. Hasnain of the Institute of Life Sciences (ILS), University of Hyderabad, India has
found that a seemingly unknown mycobacterial organism Mycobacterium indicus pranii (MIP)
could be the earliest ancestor of the 'generalist' branch of mycobacterial pathogens. The
‘generalist’ bacteria infect anything from cockroaches to human and are capable
of surviving in soil and water as against human adapted ‘specialists’ such as
tubercle and leprosy bacilli. TB, a disease that killed about 1.7 million humans last year
alone, is caused by a member of the Mycobacterial family of pathogens.
The finding further suggests that the prominent ‘generalist’ pathogen M. avium
which seriously haunts AIDS patients, together with its close associate M. avium
paratuberculosis (MAP), the agent of Crohn's disease in humans and Johne's disease in
cattle descended from the MIP. It was also found that the MIP and the MAP bacilli
initially inhabited water bodies and infected marine organisms predated by fishes finally
arriving on soil through bird-droppings.
Swedish researchers have discovered that
oseltamivir (Tamiflu), an antiviral drug used to prevent and mitigate influenza
infections, is not removed or degraded during normal sewage treatment. Consequently, in
countries where Tamiflu is used at a high frequency, there is a risk that its
concentration in natural waters can reach levels where influenza viruses in nature will
develop resistance to it. Widespread resistance of viruses in nature to Tamiflu increases
the risk that influenza viruses infecting humans will become resistant to one of the few
medicines currently available for treating influenza.
Creatine Monohydrate and Conjugated
Linoleic Acid Improve Strength and Body Composition Following Resistance Exercise in Older
Adults
Aging is associated with lower muscle mass
and an increase in body fat. We examined whether creatine monohydrate (CrM) and conjugated
linoleic acid (CLA) could enhance strength gains and improve body composition (i.e.,
increase fat-free mass (FFM); decrease body fat) following resistance exercise training in
older adults (>65 y). Men (N = 19) and women (N = 20) completed six months of
resistance exercise training with CrM (5g/d)+CLA (6g/d) or placebo with randomized, double
blind, allocation. Outcomes included: strength and muscular endurance, functional tasks,
body composition (DEXA scan), blood tests (lipids, liver function, CK, glucose, systemic
inflammation markers (IL-6, C-reactive protein)), urinary markers of compliance
(creatine/creatinine), oxidative stress (8-OH-2dG, 8-isoP) and bone resorption
(?-telopeptides). Exercise training improved all measurements of functional capacity
(P<0.05) and strength (P<0.001), with greater improvement for the CrM+CLA group in
most measurements of muscular endurance, isokinetic knee extension strength, FFM, and
lower fat mass (P<0.05). Plasma creatinine (P<0.05), but not creatinine clearance,
increased for CrM+CLA, with no changes in serum CK activity or liver function tests.
Together, this data confirms that supervised resistance exercise training is safe and
effective for increasing strength in older adults and that a combination of CrM and CLA
can enhance some of the beneficial effects of training over a six-month period.
New research into plant colours
sheds light on antioxidants
Scientists have made an important advance
in understanding the genetic processes that give flowers, leaves and plants their bright
colours. The knowledge could lead to a range of benefits, including better understanding
of the cancer-fighting properties of plant pigments and new, natural food colourings. The
research is highlighted in the new issue of Business from the Biotechnology and Biological
Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). The scientists, at the John Innes Centre and Institute
of Food Research in Norwich, have pinpointed a key group of enzymes involved in the
production of plant pigments. The pigments, called anthocyanins, are what give some plants
the vivid colours that they use to attract insects and foraging animals. They also give
plants protection against environmental stresses and disease. Hundreds of different
anthocyanins exist in nature, all with slightly different chemical compositions. The
international research team, supported by BBSRC, identified the genes responsible for the
enzymes which chemically modify anthocyanins to alter their properties.
Mayo Clinic offers latest
technology to repair brain blood vessels
Surgeons at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville,
Fla., are adapting a common heart artery procedure to help people with life-threatening
cerebral aneurysms — a bulge in brain blood vessels that can burst.
The surgeons are the first in the Northeast Florida area to use a stent as part of a
procedure to treat brain aneurysms. Stents, which are tube-shaped mesh structures that fit
snugly against the inside walls of a blood vessel, are often used within heart arteries to
push plaque away from the vessel wall and improve blood flow. These devices are now
beginning to be used to treat other problems. At Mayo Clinic, surgeons are implanting
these devices directly into blood vessels in the brain of patients with potentially
devastating brain aneurysms.
CSPI sues Burger King for knowingly
harming customers with trans fats
The Center for Science in the Public
Interest (CSPI) filed a lawsuit recently against Burger King for knowingly harming its
customers, increasing their risk of heart disease and early death by refusing to stop
cooking with partially hydrogenated oils.
DHA and EPA, the omega-3s found in salmon,
trout, other fish, and algae, are linked to a lower risk of heart disease. Another
omega-3, ALA, found in flaxseed and to a lesser extent, canola and soy, may not have the
same benefits. But that doesn’t stop companies from loading products with ALA and
bragging about their omega-3 content.
Good news for public health: Bioengineering
researchers from the EPFL in Lausanne, Switzerland, have developed and patented a
nanoparticle that can deliver vaccines more effectively, with fewer side effects, and at a
fraction of the cost of current vaccine technologies. Described in an article appearing
online September 16 in the journal Nature Biotechnology, the vaccine delivery platform is
a deceptively simple combination of nanotechnology and chemistry that represents a huge
advantage over current vaccine methods. This technology may make it possible to vaccinate
against diseases like hepatitis and malaria with a single injection. And at an estimated
cost of only a dollar a dose, this technology represents a real breakthrough for vaccine
efforts in underdeveloped countries.
A vaccination is an injection of a
non-virulent form of a pathogen or molecule from a pathogen (known as an antigen), to
which the immune system responds, destroying and then developing a “memory” for
the pathogen. Later, when a virulent form of the pathogen comes along, this memory kicks
in and the intruder is quickly eradicated. Most vaccines protect against viruses or
bacteria, but vaccine techniques are also being explored as a way to kill cancer cells.
Thanks to recent advances, an immune response can be triggered with just a single protein
from a virus or bacterium. Recent research has also shown that the best way to get
sustained immunity is to deliver an antigen directly to specialized immune cells known as
dendritic cells (DCs).
Deficiency of Immune System
Peacekeeper Pinpointed in Mice as Cause of Ulcerative Colitis
In a series of mouse experiments,
researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) have pinpointed a specific
immune deficiency as the likely fundamental cause of ulcerative colitis, a chronic,
sometimes severe inflammatory disease of the colon or large intestine that afflicts half a
million Americans. Remarkably, the researchers also found that once the disease was
established in mice, it could be passed from mother to offspring and even between adult
animals, with potential implications for public health and prevention. The researchers
have linked ulcerative colitis in mice to a deficiency of a molecular
“peacekeeper” in the immune system, allowing harmful bacteria in the large
intestine to breach the bowel’s protective lining and trigger damaging inflammation.
Bilberry extract - can it help
prevent certain cancers?
Cancer researchers are investigating
whether extracts of bilberries can aid cancer prevention. A Leicester cancer research
project, which receives funding from Hope Against Cancer (formerly The Hope Foundation,)
is investigating whether an extract from bilberries can prevent or delay the onset of
certain cancers.
Professor Andy Gescher, of the University
of Leicester, is leading an investigation to carry out clinical trials with the
commercially produced substance Mirtoselect (extracted from bilberries), with the
cooperation of patients about to undergo surgery for colorectal and liver cancer.
Among his research team are two Allison Wilson Fellows whose work is funded by Hope
Against Cancer, Ms Sarah Thomasset and Mr Giuseppe Garcea.
The research project, which takes place in
the University of Leicester’s Department of Cancer Studies and Molecular Medicine and
at the Leicester General Hospital, has already established that in a laboratory model
Mirtoselect decreases the development of colorectal cancer. Now, working with Mr Dave
Berry, Hepatobiliary surgeon at the General Hospital, they are looking to see how much of
the bilberry extract actually gets into human tissue and whether there are changes in the
tissue that may have been caused by the substance.
If so, then that indicates that taking the
extract over a long period may be beneficial. If not, then the researchers have to decide
whether it is feasible to increase the dose and whether it is right to go forward to a
major clinical trial. By comparing results with their laboratory model, the research team
will have an indication as to how effective the bilberry extract is likely to be in
preventing cancer. This will help them to design a protocol for a future clinical trial
that will test whether it really does interfere with the onset of colorectal or liver
cancer.
Evidence of a relationship between
swimming babies and infections
Scientists of the GSF–National
Research Center for Environment and Health found indications for an association between
attendance of swimming pools in the first year of life and the frequency of infections.
Diarrhea and otitis media during the first year of life are especially noteworthy. No
increased risks were found for atopic diseases during the first six years.
Video - John McDougall MD on the
perils of dairy products
Celebrated author, lecturer and clinic
director John McDougall MD presents part of the massive research showing that -- contrary
to .advertising -- dairy products promote a multitude health problems including heart
disease, cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis.
Ed and Millicent Lawrence built their dream
home in 1980 in Upstate New York. The goal was to live off the land. The home is a post
and ... alle » beam structure with 4 inch rigid foam panels providing energy performance
of R40 in the walls R50 in the roof. Besides incorporating super insulation with close to
zero air infiltration, solar domestic hot water was installed when the house was built as
was the active/passive solar heating system which is comprised of southwest facing
exposure of the home with a greenhouse that absorbs the suns heat into tons of sand that
acts as a heat sink to maintain a comfortable temperature in the home year round. In 2005
the Lawrence's installed solar electricity with battery backup designed to produce over
40% of their electric via renewable energy.
The result of this design enables the
Lawrence's to use only 2 cords of wood in their wood stove every year for supplemental
heat. Since November of 2005 Ed and Millie have generated over 9600 kilowatts of
electricity that has eliminated the production of over 13,000 pounds of carbon dioxide
from being emitted into our atmosphere. Countless tons of carbon dioxide have also been
eliminated by using the sun to heat domestic hot water and the home itself. Solutions to
the climate crisis are here now. The Lawrence's are living proof of the viability and
practicality of proper building design and active solar systems working to eliminate the
need for fossil fuel consumption in the home.
This home is one of hundreds that open their doors every year in the Northeast for the
Green Buildings Open House the first Saturday in October, and one of thousands that are
part of the National Solar Tour. For more information about GBOH, browse to
http://www.nesea.org/buildings/openhouse. To learn more about the National Solar Tour,
organized by The American Solar Energy Society, please visit http://www.ases.org
Mortality benefits of influenza
vaccination in elderly people: an ongoing controversy
Influenza vaccination policy in most
high-income countries attempts to reduce the mortality burden of influenza by targeting
people aged at least 65 years for vaccination. However, the effectiveness of this strategy
is under debate. Although placebo-controlled randomised trials show influenza vaccine is
effective in younger adults, few trials have included elderly people, and especially those
aged at least 70 years, the age-group that accounts for three-quarters of all
influenza-related deaths. Recent excess mortality studies were unable to confirm a decline
in influenza-related mortality since 1980, even as vaccination coverage increased from 15%
to 65%. Paradoxically, whereas those studies attribute about 5% of all winter deaths to
influenza, many cohort studies report a 50% reduction in the total risk of death in
winter—a benefit ten times greater than the estimated influenza mortality burden. New
studies, however, have shown substantial unadjusted selection bias in previous cohort
studies. We propose an analytical framework for detecting such residual bias. We conclude
that frailty selection bias and use of non-specific endpoints such as all-cause mortality
have led cohort studies to greatly exaggerate vaccine benefits. The
remaining evidence base is currently insufficient to indicate the magnitude of the
mortality benefit, if any, that elderly people derive from the vaccination programme.
UT Southwestern investigating
hypothermic technique in treating pediatric head injuries
UT Southwestern Medical Center has been
selected to take part in an $11.5 million multicenter clinical trial that is examining the
effectiveness of induced hypothermia as a therapy for brain swelling in children who have
suffered severe traumatic brain injuries. The 12 centers that are participating in the
trial are expected to enroll a total of 340 children up to age 16 in the five-year trial,
which is being funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, a
component of the National Institutes of Health. Children’s Medical Center Dallas,
which has a Level I pediatric trauma center, will serve as the local coordinating site.
The study is being led by Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Pediatric patients who
are eligible for the trial must have severe brain injury caused by blunt trauma. This
excludes patients who have suffered injuries that penetrate the skull such as gunshot
wounds.
Researchers develop targeted
approach to pain management
Scientists have combined a normally
inactive lidocaine derivative with capsaicin, the 'heat'-generating ingredient in chili
peppers, to produce pain-specific local anesthesia. When injected into rats, this
combination completely blocked pain without interfering with either motor function or
sensitivity to non-painful stimuli.
Stomach stem cell discovery could
bring cancer insights
University of Michigan researchers have for
the first time identified progenitor cells in mouse stomachs in a region where cancer
often begins. The ability to see and trace these cells gives a green light to efforts to
understand the origins of one of the world's most common cancers.
Scientists at Cardiff University School of
Medicine have achieved greater understanding of telomeres -- small DNA structures which
have a role in the onset of cancer. The discovery may lead in time to the development of a
very early test for tumors.
Trial seeks 'genetic fingerprint'
for predicting drug effectiveness
University of Cincinnati
physician-scientists believe identifying a genetic "fingerprint" could help
predict which specific therapies will be most effective for patients with gastric cancer.
Like Goldilocks, the brain seeks
proportions that are "just right." The proper number of synapses or
communication between nerve cells, determined early in life, is crucial to having a
healthy brain that can learn and retain information. Now, researchers at Baylor
College of Medicine in Houston have determined that the protein MeCP2 (methyl-CpG binding
protein 2), is critical to fine-tuning the number of synapses. In a report that appears in
today’s issue of the journal Neuron, they said that too little MeCP2, as in the
neurodevelopmental disorder Rett syndrome, or too much MeCP2, can result in mental
retardation, problems with gait or spasticity and symptoms of autism.
In fact, a common underlying theme in the
autism spectrum disorders could be a disruption in neuron-to-neuron communication caused
by abnormal amounts of MeCP2, said Hsiao-Tuan Chao, an M.D./Ph.D. graduate student, who
worked under the co-mentorship of BCM investigators Drs. Huda Y. Zoghbi and Christian
Rosenmund and is first author of the report. Zoghbi is a professor of molecular and human
genetics, pediatrics, neurology and neuroscience at BCM and a Howard Hughes Medical
Institute investigator, and Rosenmund is an associate professor of molecular and human
genetics and neuroscience.
As infants, girls with Rett syndrome seem
normal for at least six months. Between the ages of 6 and 18 months, however, their
development stops and they begin to regress, losing the ability to talk. Then they begin
to have problems walking and keeping their balance and develop typical hand-wringing
behavior. Many of their symptoms mirror those of autism. Zoghbi’s laboratory was the
first to identify a mutation in the MeCP2 gene that results in too little of this protein,
causing girls to develop Rett. Boys who suffer from a disorder linked to too much MeCP2
have spasticity and mental retardation with autism-like behavior. “MeCP2 has an
important role in fine-tuning the amount of synaptic responses,” said Chao. Having
just the right amount of MeCP2 and the right number of synapses drives healthy brain
development.
• Two-Photon Neural Imaging in
Behaving Mice
• MeCP2 Scales Glutamatergic Synapse Number
• APP Regulates ApoE/Cholesterol Metabolism
• Cep120 Controls Interkinetic Nuclear Migration
• Chromatin Regulation of Dendrite Development
• BMPs and Maintenance of Homeostatic Plasticity
• Voltage-Dependent Gating of Shaker K+ Channel
• Prefrontal ACh Timing and Cognitive Operations
• Peripheral Circuits in the Visual System of Flies
• Intrinsic Variation in Brain Activity and Behavior
• The Neural Signature of Social Norm Compliance
Linking 2 molecular pieces of the
Alzheimer's puzzle
Researchers have uncovered a biological link between the protein whose mutation causes
early-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and a gene variant linked to late-onset AD. The
researchers said their finding could lead to new approaches to treating AD. Guojun Bu and
colleagues published their findings in the October 4, 2007 issue of the journal Neuron,
published by Cell Press. In their studies, the researchers sought to link the function of
two known causative factors in AD—amyloid precursor protein (APP) and a particular
form of the gene for the protein apolipoprotein E (apoE) that has been linked to higher
late-onset AD risk. Mutations in APP are known to cause early-onset AD when cleavage of
the protein produces a short toxic protein called Aâ peptide that builds up in the brain,
killing brain cells. And a specific variant of the gene for apoE, which produces a version
called apoE4, has been linked to late-onset AD, although how this predisposes individuals
to the disease is largely unknown. However, the normal function of the apoE protein is
known. It carries cholesterol and other lipids into nerve cells, where they act as
essential building blocks for neuronal membranes.
Video - Prescription For Disaster
Prescription for Disaster is an in-depth
investigation into the symbiotic relationships between the pharmaceutical industry, the
FDA, lobbyists, lawmakers, medical schools, and researchers, and the impact this has on
consumers and their health care. During this thorough investigation, we take a close look
at patented drugs, why they are so readily prescribed by doctors, the role insurance
companies and HMO's play in promoting compliance, and the problem of rising health care
costs. We examine the marketing and public relations efforts on behalf of the
pharmaceutical companies, including sales reps, medical journals and conferences. Further,
we look at alternatives to traditional pharmacology and drug therapy, such as vitamins and
nutritional supplements, and why they are often perceived as a competitive threat to the
drug manufacturers. Alternative therapies also include diet, exercise and a healthy
lifestyle. Prescription for Disaster takes you on a journey through the tangled web of big
business, the way disease is treated today, and the consequences we suffer as a society.
Creatine in addition to exercise
enhances strength in older adults
While exercise is a proven way to prevent
the loss of muscle mass, a new study led by McMaster researcher Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky shows
that taking a combination of creatine monohydrate and conjugated linoleic acid in addition
to resistance exercise training provides even greater benefits.
Video - Cell
Phone Dangers - what they don't want you to see
Vaginal progesterone gel may
improve infant outcomes and reduce the rate of preterm birth in women with a short cervix
in mid-pregnan
A study just published in the October issue
of The White Journal supports findings from last month's New England Journal of Medicine
that progesterone reduces preterm birth among women with a short cervix. This is the first
and only preterm birth prevention study associated with significant improvements in
clinical measures of infant outcome -- with a reduction in newborns admitted to neonatal
intensive care units, as well as shorter stays in the NICU for babies whose mothers were
treated with vaginal progesterone gel.
Cases in Vaccine Court — Legal
Battles over Vaccines and Autism
Do childhood vaccines cause autism? This
scientific question has now become a legal one — perhaps inevitable in our society.
Some families with autistic children are pursuing legal channels in an effort to prove
that vaccines are responsible for their children's condition. Most of them allege that the
cause is the mercury-containing preservative thimerosal, which was formerly used in many
vaccines in the United States and elsewhere. Others argue that the culprit is the measles,
mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine itself or perhaps the vaccine in combination with
thimerosal.
After the Vietnam War, hundreds of thousands
of U.S. veterans suffered toxic reactions, neurological damage, and rare cancers due to
exposure to 2,4,5,-D and 2,4,5-T dioxin that was used in the form of the defoliant Agent
Orange. Unfortunately, the U.S. military denied the problem and failed to heed any of the
lessons of this chemical butchery. Instead, it expanded its harmful legacy to the current
generation of soldiers and civilians exposed to new, more deadly chemical toxins in the
Persian Gulf.
Join accomplished filmmaker Gary Null, PhD,
as he explores the real truth about Gulf War Syndrome and the secrets about chemical and
germ warfare that the U.S. government is hiding from its veterans and the public. Dr. Null
uncovers the hidden truths about Gulf War Syndrome, including the deadly and toxic effects
of armor-piercing radioactive depleted uranium, the use of experimental and risky vaccines
on over 1,100,000 U.S. troops, and the indescribable chemical contamination and
environmental devastation that the military caused during the Persian Gulf Wars. In this
film, Dr. Null relies on compelling testimony from eyewitnesses who served in the
military, leading doctors and scientists who specialize in chemical exposure, and those
veterans still suffering from the effects of their tours of duty.
Dr. Null goes further than ever before to
explain the illnesses of Gulf veterans, including their rare cancers, neurological
diseases, cardiac ailments, genetic mutations, and autoimmune conditions, ranging from
chronic fatigue syndrome to lupus and scleroderma. “Post Traumatic Stress
Syndrome” is the glib and demeaning explanation that the U.S. Government likes to
give to injured veterans and their families. By revealing the truth about how and why
American soldiers became ill while fighting overseas, this film sets the record straight
and holds the government accountable for trivializing and covering up some of the major
causes and consequences of Gulf War Syndrome. This film is also a scathing indictment of
the practices and policies of modern warfare, and how they are causing massive illnesses
that have never been seen before and which do not recognize political or geographic
boundaries.
In 1997, Frank Pallone, a U.S. congressman
from New Jersey, attached a simple, 133-word amendment to a Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) reauthorization bill. This amendment gave the FDA 2 years to "compile a list of
drugs and foods that contain intentionally introduced mercury compounds and [to] provide a
quantitative and qualitative analysis of the mercury compounds in the list."1 The
bill — the FDA Modernization Act of 1997 — was signed into law on November 21,
1997. Neither the press nor the public took notice.
Big Sugar explores the dark history and
modern power of the world's reigning sugar cartels. Using dramatic reenactments, it
reveals how sugar was at the heart of slavery in the West Indies in the 18th century,
while showing how present-day consumers are slaves to a sugar-based diet. Going
undercover, Big Sugar witnesses the appalling working conditions on plantations in the
Dominican Republic, where Haitian cane cutters live like slaves. Workers who live on
Central Romano, a Fanjul-owned plantation, go hungry while working 12-hour days to earn $2
(US).
Colorectal cancer is one of the deadliest
but most preventable causes of death in the United States. The American
Gastroenterological Association Institute supports clinically proven technologies that
increase the number of patients who are screened for the disease.
A new Joslin-led study has shown that
leptin, a hormone known mainly for regulating appetite control and energy metabolism,
plays a major role in islet cell growth and insulin secretion. This finding opens up new
avenues for studying leptin and its role in islet cell biology, which may lead to new
treatments for diabetes. This study appears in the October 2007 issue of The Journal of
Clinical Investigation.
Previous in vitro studies suggested that leptin receptors, which are found in tissues
throughout the body including the pancreas as well as the brain, mediate leptin-induced
inhibition of insulin secretion in islet cells, also known as beta cells. “We wanted
to further our understanding of leptin and its role in beta cells independent of its
effects in the brain,” said Rohit N. Kulkarni, M.D., Ph.D., principal investigator at
Joslin Diabetes Center and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, who
led this study. It is currently not known why obese individuals exhibit a high incidence
of diabetes despite high levels of both insulin and leptin circulating in the bloodstream.
According to a new survey, the cognitive
impairment experienced by 14 to 45 percent of cancer patients can be long-lasting and
severely affect their personal and professional lives. In addition to exploring the impact
at home and at work, the Cognitive Changes Related to Cancer Treatment survey also
uncovered that 55 percent of the survey respondents were unsatisfied with the responses
from their doctors when it came to addressing their concerns.
A strong skeleton is less likely to be
penetrated by metastasizing cancer cells, so a fortified glass of milk might be the way to
block cancer's spread, according to researchers at the ANZAC Research Institute in
Concord, Australia. Using a mouse model of breast cancer metastasis, the researchers found
that a calcium deficiency may increase the tendency of advanced breast cancer to target
bone. Dietary calcium, they reason, might help prevent the spread of breast cancer to bone
and serve as an adjuvant treatment during therapy.
One of the biggest problems in the current
treatment of cancer is that the agents that are efficacious in the destruction of tumorous
cells are, at the same time, extremely toxic for the rest of the healthy cells and tissues
of the patient. To address the problem the University of the Basque Country is seeking
more specific treatments and studying the differences between tumorous cells and healthy
ones.
A new study in the October issue of Cell
Metabolism, a publication of Cell Press, reveals that worms live to an older age when they
are unable to process the simple sugar glucose. Glucose is a primary source of energy for
the body, and can be found in all major dietary carbohydrates as a component of starches
and other forms of sugar, including sucrose and lactose.
A Queensland University of Technology
researcher has developed a new technique that can help scientists and clinicians quickly
and cheaply diagnose the bacteria which causes the most common bout of food poisoning in
Australia. Erin Price, from QUT's Faculty of Science, has developed a novel set of methods
that uses genetic markers to pinpoint the bacteria Campylobacter jejuni.
Video - Skull Penetration of Cell
Phone Radiation in Children
Women diagnosed with metastatic breast
cancer who have also endured previous traumatic or stressful events see their cancer recur
nearly twice as fast as other women, according to a report by a University of Rochester
Medical Center scientist. The small, retrospective study showed that women who faced
physical or sexual abuse or life-threatening situations see metastatic tumors return after
about 2.5 years, compared with women who have more peaceful lives who see recurrence at
about five years. The report was published in this month’s Journal of Psychosomatic
Research by scientists from the University of Rochester Medical Center and Stanford
University School of Medicine.
Some benefits of motherhood are intangible,
but one has been validated through biostatistical research: women who bear children have a
reduced risk of developing breast cancer. In Seattle, researchers at the University of
Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center believe they have identified a
source of this protective effect: fetal cells "transplanted" to the mother
before birth.
Video - Are Cell Phones
and Wireless Technology Dangerous?
A new knee-surgery device investigated by
University of Missouri-Columbia researchers that will help to repair meniscus tears, which
were previously defined as irreparable, has been approved by the FDA for use in humans.
A new, easily ingested form of a compound
that has already shown it can attack the roots of leukemia in laboratory studies is moving
into human clinical trials, according to a new article by University of Rochester
investigators in the journal, Blood.
Daily television viewing for two or more
hours in early childhood can lead to behavioral problems and poor social skills, according
to a study of children 2.5 to 5.5 years of age. Researchers found that the impact of TV
viewing on a child's behavior and social skills varied by the age at which the viewing
occurred. More importantly, heavy television viewing that decreased over time was not
associated with behavior or social problems.
Researchers have identified a compound in
tree bark that mimics the chemical reactions of a naturally occurring molecule in the
brain responsible for stimulating neuronal cell signaling. The tree bark compound, known
as gambogic amide, behaves much like Nerve Growth Factor, a molecule found in the brain.
NGF binds to TrkA, a neuronal receptor, and activates neuronal signaling. It is known that
the loss of TrkA density correlates with neuronal atrophy and severe cognitive impairment
such as that associated with Alzheimer's disease.
Pregnant women who have very low
cholesterol may face a greater risk of delivering their babies prematurely than women with
more moderate cholesterol levels, a team led by the National Human Genome Research
Institute reported today. In a study published in the October Pediatrics, the researchers
found that low maternal cholesterol levels also may lead to adverse birth outcomes,
including premature birth and low birth weight.
Fetal cells that persist in a woman's body
long after pregnancy -- a common occurrence known in scientific circles as fetal
microchimerism -- in some cases may reduce the woman's risk of breast cancer, according to
researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
Individuals who are more conscientious --
in other words, those with a tendency to be self-disciplined, scrupulous and purposeful --
appear less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease, according to a report in the October
issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Obesity 15:1969–1979 (2007); Email: dpierce@ualberta.ca
Overeating by Young Obesity-prone and Lean Rats Caused by Tastes Associated With Low
Energy Foods
Data from our study indicate that the subversionof the relationship between
taste and caloric content disruptsthe normal physiological and behavioral
energy balance of juvenilerats, resulting in overeating that is independent of
geneticdisposition for obesity.
Many more people try to quit smoking than
succeed in giving up this nicotine-delivering habit. Now, a group of scientists at the
Scripps Research Institute has identified one neurobiological mechanism that contributes
to nicotine dependence, and to the anxiety and craving experienced upon withdrawal. The
findings also suggest a new approach to developing drugs that could help smokers quit.
A popular prostate cancer treatment called
androgen deprivation therapy may encourage prostate cancer cells to produce a protein that
makes them more likely to spread throughout the body, a new study by Johns Hopkins
researchers suggests. Although the finding could eventually lead to changes in this
standard treatment for a sometimes deadly disease, the Johns Hopkins researchers caution
that their discovery is far too preliminary for prostate cancer patients or physicians to
stop using it. The therapy is effective at slowing tumor growth, they emphasized. David
Berman, an assistant professor of pathology, urology and oncology at The Johns Hopkins
University School of Medicine, and his colleagues identified the unsuspected potential
problem with treatments that suppress testosterone after discovering that the gene that
codes for the protein, called nestin, was active in lab-grown human prostate cancer cells.
Curious about whether prostate cancer cells
in people also produce nestin, the researchers looked for it in cells taken from men who
had surgery to remove locally confined cancers of their prostates and found none. But when
they looked for nestin in prostate cancer cells isolated from patients who had died of
metastatic prostate cancer - in which cancer cells spread out from the prostate tumor -
they found substantial evidence that the nestin gene was active.
What was different, Berman speculated, is
that androgen deprivation therapy, a treatment that reduces testosterone in the body, is
generally given only when prostate cancers become aggressive and likely to metastasize.
Because prostate cancer growth is typically stimulated by testosterone, the treatment is
thought to slow tumor growth and weaken the disease. Patients who eventually die because
their disease metastasizes are almost certain to have received this type of therapy, he
says. Speculating that depriving cells of androgens might also, however, affect nestin
expression, the researchers experimented on a prostate cancer cell line that depends on
androgens to grow. When they removed androgens from the chemical mixture that the cells
live in, their production of nestin increased.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have found
that high-normal uric acid levels may cause barely-detectable mini-strokes that
potentially contribute to mental decline in aging adults.
Video - David Icke - Was he right?
Channel 5 documentary from 12/26/06
which chronicles David Icke's career to present day, and asks the big question - Was he
right? Anyone who is paying attention knows the answer to that. A very impartial and fair
documentary. Thank you Channel 5 for this great piece of journalism.
Two studies in the October issue of the
journal Gastroenterology may help in refining recommendations for the use of colonoscopy
to screen for colorectal cancer. One study reports that patients with large polyps or
adenomas—pre-cancerous growths that may develop into colorectal cancers—on
initial colonoscopy may need more frequent follow-up, while those with only a few small
polyps can be screened less often. The second study suggests that relatives of patients
with large polyps should also be targeted for screening. Dr. David A. Lieberman and
colleagues of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Centers in Portland, Ore.,
compared the results of follow-up colonoscopy in two groups of patients. One group of 895
patients had some type of colorectal neoplasia—polyps or cancers—detected on
their initial colonoscopy. The other 298 patients had no polyps or cancers. When
colonoscopy was repeated five years later, advanced polyps or cancers were found in
approximately seven percent of the patients with previous polyps, compared to two percent
of those without previous polyps. The "more severe" the abnormalities at initial
colonoscopy, the greater the likelihood of detecting large polyps (ten millimeters or
larger) or cancers at follow-up. The risk was five times higher for patients with three or
more small polyps and six to seven times higher for those who had large polyps or polyps
with certain pre-cancerous changes (villous adenoma or high-grade dysplasia). For patients
with one or two small polyps, there was no significant increase in risk.
People’s intake of fatty acids –
which have been linked to cardiovascular disease and other conditions – can be
substantially affected by changing the type of vegetable oil they use, according to
researchers at the University of Illinois and Pennsylvania State University. Substituting
canola oil and canola-based margarine for vegetable oils and spreads, such as corn,
cottonseed and soybean, “increases compliance with dietary recommendations for
saturated fatty acid, monounsaturated fatty acid and alpha-linolenic acid,” the
researchers write in their study of data from nearly 9,000 U.S. adults.
According to the researchers, switching to canola-based products 100 percent of the time
would decrease adults’ saturated fatty acid intake by up to 9.4 percent; increase
their intake of monounsaturated fatty acid by 27.6 percent; and increase their
alpha-linolenic acid intakes by73 percent. Total consumption of calories, total fat and
cholesterol would not change.
Researchers in California are reporting
development of a fast, inexpensive test suitable for home use that could help millions of
people avoid those "out of the blue" headaches that may follow consumption of
certain red wines, cheese, chocolate and other aged or fermented foods. The test is
designed to detect the presence of so-called biogenic amines, naturally occurring toxins
that can trigger a wide range of symptoms in sensitive individuals.
New research on the effects of the female
sex hormone estrogen in the brain lend credence to what many women have suspected about
the hormonal changes that accompany aging; Menopause can make you fat.
Dr. Blaylock is a board certified
neurosurgeon, author and lecturer. He attended the LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans
and completed his general surgical internship and neurosurgical residency at the Medical
University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina.
Researchers here have linked an increase in
two immune system proteins essential for inflammation to a latent viral infection and
proposed a chain of events that might accelerate cardiovascular disease. The same process
may be involved in a host of other ailments plaguing the elderly.
A glitch in the production and folding of
molecules deep within the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas may be responsible for
the death of those cells and the onset of diabetes, new animal research suggests.
Video - Excitotoxins: The Taste
That Kills
Dr. Russel Blaylock discusses how our food
today is adulterated with excitotoxins. Dr. Blaylock has written many books and does an
excellent job explaining how these toxins affect our bodies. He cuts through the
political and industry lies. This is a must see video.
Researchers at the University of Virginia
Health System have published a new study that helps scientists around the world expand the
body of knowledge on how cells protect themselves (or not) from DNA damage caused by UV
rays. Their study reveals part of a 'simple switch' mechanism inside cells, triggered by
UV exposure from the sun, that helps our cells survive and thrive after being exposed.
This mechanism involves an unanticipated connection between several proteins in the cell,
the researchers discovered.
Video - Andrew Mwenda: Let's take a
new look at African aid
Video - Debunking myths about the
"Third World"
A must see
Book - The Fat Loss Bible by
Anthony Colpo
Why Almost Everything You've Been Told
About Weight Loss is Wrong! With the release of The Fat Loss Bible, Anthony Colpo
turns the world of weight loss on its head. After reading this myth-busting new book, you
will realize that almost everything you have been told about weight loss is false.
Destroying the Myths
In the first section of the book, Colpo
mercilessly takes aim at today's most pervasive weight loss myths, then blows each one to
pieces with an unrelenting barrage of scientific data.
The biggest myth of all, states Colpo, is
that calories are of little importance when attempting to lose weight. The Australian
researcher lambasts those who claim the key to losing weight is lowering one's fat or
carbohydrate intake. He is especially scornful of famous low-carbohydrate authors who
enthusiastically promote the belief that, at identical caloric intakes, one can gain
weight on a high-carbohydrate diet but lose weight on a low-carbohydrate diet. The late
Dr. Atkins called this the "metabolic advantage", a term his followers still use
today as if its existence had already been established beyond a doubt.
Those who promote the "metabolic
advantage" theory are fond of selectively citing clinical trials with free-living
subjects that have shown greater weight loss on low-carbohydrate diets. As The Fat Loss
Bible explains, these authors rarely mention the even greater number of free-living
studies that do not show greater weight loss on low-carb diets, and they almost never
mention the numerous metabolic ward studies that have looked at this very issue.
Metabolic ward studies are the most
important form of evidence, as they are the only clinical trials that ensure identical
caloric intake among the subjects eating high- and low-carbohydrate diets. After all, if
one is testing the belief that isocaloric diets of differing macronutrient composition can
have differing weight loss effects, one must be sure that the diets consumed by the
subjects are indeed isocaloric. Free-living studies fail dismally to meet this
requirement; as The Fat Loss Bible explains, an abundance of evidence exists to show that
dietary misreporting is the norm, not the exception, in free-living dietary trials.
In a world first, The Fat Loss Bible
presents the results of each and every one of the metabolic ward dietary comparison
studies conducted over the last five decades, and the results are unmistakable. When
dietary misreporting is removed as a potential confounder, there is simply no evidence for
a "metabolic advantage".
The fundamental requirement for weight loss
is a calorie deficit. One must eat less calories than what they are expending, otherwise
they simply will not lose weight. This is the reality, regardless of what eating style one
chooses, be it low-carb, high-carb, or anywhere in between. By distracting people from
this fundamental requirement, the promoters of the "metabolic advantage" theory
inevitably set up many dieters for failure.
The reason some free-living clinical trials
have shown greater weight loss on low-carbohydrate diets is because these regimens can
have powerful satiating effects. Increased dietary protein, dietary fat, and low
carbohydrate intakes all act through different mechanisms to decrease hunger. In other
words, these diets make it easier for many people to lower their calorie intake. Because
those following low-fat and calorie-restricted diets are most likely to underreport, the
free-living studies give the false impression that lower-carb diets cause greater weight
loss at a given calorie intake than higher-carb diets.
As the discrepancy between supportive and
non-supportive free-living studies shows, the satiating effect of low-carb diets is not
evident in all dieters. If those who do not experience such satiation are unaware that a
calorie deficit, not reduction of carbohydrates, is the driving factor, then their efforts
at weight loss will likely result in failure and frustration.
Colpo uses the same sort of meticulous
science to destroy numerous other dietary myths, which are accepted as gospel by many in
the health and nutrition arena. These myths include:
" Ketosis accelerates weight loss;
" Eating small, frequent meals helps
you lose weight faster;
" Eating big meals at night makes you
fat;
" Eating carbohydrates early in the
day gives you energy, eating them at night makes you fat;
" Building muscle turns you into a
"fat-burning dynamo".
The Fat Loss Bible presents study after
study to show these and other beliefs are grounded, not in fact, but fantasy.
How to Really Lose Weight
Colpo is no armchair expert. In addition to
his work as an independent researcher and author, Colpo is a certified fitness trainer who
has worked with a wide variety of clients over the last over 16 years. In the second
section of the book, Colpo presents the science-based principles he has developed for
helping people lose weight.
Having established that a calorie deficit
is essential for weight loss, Colpo explains the correct way to establish such a deficit.
He warns against sudden, drastic, and excessive cuts in calorie intake, as these can
induce ravenous hunger, mood disturbances, and rapid loss of precious muscle tissue.
Instead of resorting to the usual random
and ineffectual method of cutting calories, The Fat Loss Bible describes in a step-by-step
fashion how to calculate your own ideal daily calorie target. This is done by taking into
account such factors as your current weight status and physical activity levels.
Having calculated your daily calorie
target, The Fat Loss Bible then explains just how much protein, fat, and carbohydrate you
should eat. The book also lists the type of foods that should form the foundation of your
diet - fresh nutrient-dense Paleolithic-style foods such as meats, eggs, nuts, vegetables,
and small amounts of fruit.
The Fat Loss Bible thoroughly addresses
another subject commonly ignored by most weight loss books: Exercise. Colpo explains just
why exercise is so important. Not only does it help establish a calorie deficit, but the
right kind of exercise helps prevent muscle loss. Many people who lose weight end up
smaller but still have a flabby look to their physiques. This is due to the fact that they
have lost excessive amounts of muscle along with fat. If your goal is to have a lean
attractive physique with good muscular tone, then muscle loss is to be avoided at all
costs. Any weight you lose should be comprised primarily of fat.
Not any old form of exercise will suffice.
Contrary to popular wisdom, endless hours of jogging or aerobics are not the best way to
lose fat. The Fat Loss Bible describes the many benefits of weight training and
brief-duration cardio and explains how you can institute an intelligently structured
exercise routine.
Conclusion
The Fat Loss Bible is two-books-in-one; it
debunks common weight loss myths, and then outlines a step-by-step method for losing
weight based on solid science. It will completely change your thinking on weight loss.
