* Love, Chocolate Good For The Heart Says Cardiologist: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213153957.htm * Fish Oil May Help Prevent Psychiatric Disorders http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/241484.php * Overeating Linked To Memory Loss http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/241589.php * Vitamin D deficiency High Among Trauma Patients http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120207133748.htm * Regular Use Of Vitamin And Mineral Supplements Could Reduce The Risk Of Colon Cancer http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120203141509.htm Posted by Ani Richardson

  Alzheimer’s disease is something I have written a lot about – for more please click here to read previous posts.   A new study, reported on Science daily, ScienceDaily (Dec. 29, 2011), has found:- People with diets high in several vitamins or in omega 3 fatty acids are less likely to have the brain shrinkage associated with Alzheimer’s disease than people whose diets are not high in those nutrients, according to a new study published in the December 28, 2011, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.  For the full story click here American Academy of Neurology (2011, December 29). Alzheimer’s: Diet patterns may keep brain from shrinking. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 1, 2012, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2011/12/111229092036.htm

This is a new format for the blog.  Each week I plan to update the blog with new research done in the general field of nutrition and health.  In addition to this I will be posting blogs specifically related to lupus so please keep checking back for new content.   * Research finds that women may reduce heart disease risk by eating omega 3 rich oily fish.  Read more about it here  .  For evidence based articles that I have previously written on heart disease please click here   * Research finds that stroke risk in women may be reduced by eating a diet rich in vegetables, fruits and wholegrains.  Read more about it here.    For evidence based articles that I have previously written on stroke please click here   * Research reviews the risk of stroke, diet quality, overeating and weight.  Read more about it here   * Research finds that an intermittent, low-carbohydrate diet may be superior to a standard, daily calorie-restricted diet for reducing weight and lowering blood levels of insulin.  Read more about it here   * Dr Briffa writes an evidence based article about calcium, vitamin D and fat.  To read it click here   Posted by Ani Richardson

Studies have found that long chain omega 3 fatty acids, from oily fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel and sardines, may be useful in the prevention and treatment of depression and low mood.  Now research has found (1) that eating trans-fats  may increase the risk of suffering depression, and that olive oil may protect against depression.     Trans fatty acids are created through manufacture when liquid vegetable oils are hardened, to a solid or semi-solid state, via a process known as hydrogenation.  (Hydrogenation is when naturally occurring cis-unsaturated double bonds are converted into trans unsaturated double bonds).  The process of hydrogenation also destroys the essential short chain omega 3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid from oils (for more information about the health benefits of omega 3 fats please read through my previous posts on the subject).  Trans fatty acids have been linked to various adverse health effects, for more information please read this post     The study ran from 1999-2010 and involved 12,059 Spanish university graduates with an average age of  37.5 years.  All of the participants were initially free of depression.  At the beginning of the study a detailed and extensive food frequency questionnaire was used to estimate the intake of fatty acids.  During the six year follow-up period any cases of depression, as diagnosed by a physician, were reported.  In this time over 650 new cases of depression were identified.  Results found that trans fatty acids were associated with an increased risk of depression – the more trans….

Previously I wrote about the importance of omega 3 fats for the brain and to potentially treat and prevent depression. This is an area I feel passionately about.  A newly published study (1) has found that low serum DHA (docosahexaenoic acid, a long chain omega 3 fatty acid) may be a risk factor for suicide.  DHA is found naturally in oily fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel and sardines.  It is also found in some algal supplements.  Many individuals do not eat oily fish regularly (at least twice every week) and are at risk of low levels of omega 3 fatty acids.   The findings came from researchers at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) and the National Institute of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse (NIAAA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  The results follow analysis of a large random sampling of suicide deaths among U.S. military personnel on active-duty between 2002 and 2008. The results of the retrospective study appear in the August 23 online version of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.   In a press release (2) Army Col. (Dr.) Michael D. Lewis, lead author on the study said “We were surprised to find just how low the levels of omega-3 fatty acids were in the entire sample,” “There still was a significant suicide risk when we stratified the population. When we compared the 1,400 samples with the lowest levels of DHA to the remaining 200, there was a 62 percent increased risk that the….

The health benefits of the long chain omega 3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are well documented.  As you can see from my past blog posts I have a real interest in the importance of these fats. These long chain fats are found in oily fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel and sardines.  A new study (1), which involved over 300 Yup’ik Eskimos in Alaska, has found that a high intake of these omega 3 fatty acids may help to prevent obesity-related chronic diseases such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. These Eskimos have around 20 times more long chain omega 3 fatty acids compared to normal western populations.     These Yup’ik Eskimos have a traditional diet which includes large volumes of oily fish. They also have a prevalence of overweight and obesity which is actually similar to that of the general U.S population. This meant that the researchers could study whether the long chain omega 3 fats could change the association between obesity and chronic disease risk.     The study involved 330 Yup’ik Eskimos living in the Yukon Kuskokwim Delta region of southwest Alaska. *70% of these individuals were overweight or obese. *Study participants provided blood samples as well as health information. *Diet was assessed by asking participants what they ate in the past 24 hours. *Individuals were asked to keep a detailed food log for three consecutive days. *Height, weight, percent body fat, blood pressure and physical activity were measured.  ….

Over the years I have written extensively about mood, depression, mental health and the brain. This area of nutrition excites and intrigues me greatly and I have specifically researched it and kept up to date with it, for over ten years now. A key factor for mental health appears to be omega 3 fatty acids, specifically the long chain forms EPA and DHA (eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid) found in oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, trout and sardines.  For this reason, as well as many others, low fat diets are something I have never advocated.  These fats in particular are so crucial for our optimal health   A professor that lectured me during my MSc (Nutritional Medicine) course back in 2001, Professor Basant Puri wrote a fabulous book that was published in 2005 entitled “The natural way to beat depression: the groundbreaking discovery of EPA to successfully conquer depression” it details how the long chain omega 3 fatty acid, EPA can be used, in conjunction with other therapeutic techniques, to successfully treat depression. At the time of publication Professor Puri had a 100% success rate of treating individuals with depression who had been unresponsive to other treatment. An amazing statistic. He has also written about the usefulness of omega 3 fats in the treatment of ADHD and chronic fatigue syndrome and was the first recorded person to use omega 3 fats to treat a depressive patient.   There is plenty of evidence that has shown how useful long chain….

I have a great interest in Omega 3 fatty acids.  Research suggests that these essential fats play a role in the prevention of several diseases ranging from heart disease to cancer, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, asthma, osteoporosis, mood disorders (including depression), eye diseases and many more – including most conditions with a link to inflammation.  A major voice for the importance of these fats is Artemis Simopoulos MD.  Dr Simopoulos is president of The Centre for Genetics, Nutrition and Health and a member of the board of directors of the American Association for World Health.  Since 1984 her research has been largely dedicated to the evolutionary aspects of diet, the omega-6:omega-3 ratio of the diet and the importance of omega-3 fatty acids for health.   In an interview (1) Dr Simopoulos said that one of the biggest food myths today is that you have to give up fat to lose weight and enjoy health.  A statement I wholeheartedly agree with.  Of course, not all fats are the same and today I want to discuss the virtues of omega 3 fatty acids.  These can be found in fish, especially oily fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel and sardines, seafood, as well as flaxseeds, walnuts and green leafy vegetables.  Meat and eggs in the UK do not contain large amounts of omega 3 fatty acids anymore since our farming methods have drastically changed over the years, this has contributed to the huge decline in our intakes of this vital fat.  Grass reared animals….