There’s no magical way to lose weight
I found out from a blogger friend of mine that there is a new fad diet called Sensa that involves sprinkling so-called ‘tastants’ on your food. They are supposed to make the food taste and smell better and then result in you eating less.
It sounds to me just like another scam to make money off of people desperate to lose weight - the 6-Month Starter Kit costs $210!
Is it magic?
They claim that you can eat whatever you want and don’t need to change anything with your eating or exercise habits. They even say on their site: “There are no food restrictions, and no change in lifestyle. … And you can continue to eat all your favorite foods!“.
That alone - even if some people do lose weight with it - should sound some alarms. Eating healthy foods and exercising isn’t just for losing weight. The nutrients found in foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains are needed for us to stay healthy. Cardiovascular exercise helps us to keep our hearts strong and strength training helps us to maintain muscle mass and to strengthen our bones.
Peer review?
Additionally, I don’t see any mention of the research for this product being published in a peer-reviewed journal, only a very brief summary of a clinical trial. No details of the methodology are included. It is only mentioned that the control group “was given a placebo — crystals that looked like Sensa Tastants, but unlike Tastants, did not enhance smell or taste”. If the ‘placebo’ tastants had no taste or smell, then obviously everyone in the study knew if they were in the test or the control group which could of course skew the results.
What’s in it?
According to the site the ingredients of the tastants are:
1. Maltodextrin (a thickening agent and sweetener)
2. Tricalcium Phosphate (an anti-caking agent)
3. Silica (inert, as far as I can tell)
4. Natural and Artificial Flavors
5. FD&C Yellow 5
6. Carmine
7. Contains Soy and Milk ingredients
Apparently nothing in them needed FDA approval and seem only to do what they claim - add flavor and smell to the food.
Evidence based science?
The guy who is selling this stuff (Alan Hirsch) founded and is the director of the ‘Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation‘ which I believe conducted the ‘research’. I don’t have any other information about this foundation to be able to evaluate the scientific legitimacy of the foundation or its research.
Worth mentioning also - <sarcasm> his research must be legitimate since he was interviewed by the ‘Prestigious’ medical journal ‘Alternative & Complementary Therapies’</sarcasm>, as it stated on his foundation’s site.
Smell and appetite
On a personal note - the basic idea of sensa is that if you make food taste and smell better, people will feel full faster and eat less. I have never had a good sense of smell and have alway been pretty skinny. I attribute part of my thinness to my inability to smell. If your sense of smell is strong it seems to me that the smell of good food increases a person’s appetite, while for me - I can hardly smell food and so I don’t get hungry when I’m near it.
Around the blogosphere
Other bloggers who have already written about this include JoLynn Braley and Mike Howard. I would love to hear what medical bloggers like Dr. Val and science bloggers like Orac and those at Denialism would say about sensa, as they have written about weight management and obesity issues.
May 15, 2008
Eating healthy to stay healthy
Today’s topic for National Women’s Health Week is eating healthy. Eating right can help you stay healthy for a long time.
So how do you eat healthy?
Michael Pollan sums it up pretty well:
Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.
Eating more fresh fruits and vegetables is a great way to start eating better. They not only have lots of fiber and vitamins but also phytochemicals and possibly many other things in them that have not even been discovered yet that can help us stay healthy.
Canned vegetables tend to have lots of salt added to them and canned fruit, a lot of sugar. Frozen is ok, but fresh is probably the best. Try to avoid boiling vegetables as the vitamins can be lost that way. Steaming is great way to prepare many different vegetables.
Nuts and seeds are also very good choices. Try to find some that are not salted. Its not always easy to find them so I tend to buy the nuts sold for baking. Unsalted sunflower and pumpkin seeds are even more difficult to find, but some health food stores may have them.
The other type of plant food is grains. Good choices are whole grain bread and pasta. And brown or wild rice instead of white. In the winter I eat hot cereal for breakfast - either oats or millet. In the summer I eat the Kashi puffed grains which has no sugar or salt added to it.
Most groups of people who tend to live a long time tend to eat very little if any meat. Not eating as much meat can help the environment too - lots of food has to be grown to feed farm animals, which could instead feed people.
Lots of research continues to show that overeating and obesity can lead to a number of health problems including diabetes and heart disease. Its also best to reduce the amount of salty and sugary foods eaten.
April 2, 2007
Do we really want to be healthy?
I’ve been writing a lot lately about eating healthy foods and want to share some of the posts I’ve found recently.
A recent Johns Hopkins study suggests that some people may not eat right because they feel they can’t afford to buy nutritious foods. At MyDocHub Blog Priscilla has a great post about how to “Eat Healthy Without Breaking The Bank” where she discusses several strategies to eat healthy without over spending.
And Sarah White at CalorieLab Calorie Counter News mentions a new study showing that advertisers are targetting junk food ads to kids. “In a typical day, kids see five ads for candy and snacks, four each for fast foods and soft drinks, three for cereal and two for restaurants”. Adults seem to have enough difficulty as it is eating right - how are kids who are constantly having junk foods shown to them going to be able to eat right as adults?
Dr. Charles of The Examining Room of Dr. Charles in “How to Lose Weight and Eat Healthy… Seriously” recommended an article in the New York Times Sunday Magazine recently as a good starting point for those wanting to lose weight. He quotes the article: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”.
That sums it up pretty good - but why can’t we seem to do it?
And its not just avoiding illness that is at stake - there is more evidence all the time that calorie restriction can slow down the aging process.
I can’t help but think that all the advertising to adults and kids of unhealthy foods plays a large role in overeating.
But which came first? A nearly uncontrollable desire to eat fatty, salty, sweet foods or the producers of these foods marketing them to us - and making us think we want them even more?
Clearly the genes to make us keep eating were in place first - but will our desire to live a long, healthy life be able to overcome the junk food marketers?
March 27, 2007
Why people don’t eat better
In my last post I asked:
So why don’t more people eat better? I would love to know a way to do a real survey and find out the causes - what percent of people don’t know any better, which don’t care, can’t afford to eat better, how many are too stressed and busy to take the time, etc.
Then yesterday I saw this press release from Johns Hopkins: “Johns Hopkins researchers examine why people eat the foods they do“.
Their study assessed the dietary choices of 4,356 U.S. adults from 20 to 65 years old. They found that ethnic, gender and income levels played a big role in the choices people made. I didn’t see a mention of the role of that education levels might play or how a busier, more stress filled life may influence what people eat.
The socio-economic status and income levels of those surveyed were taken into account though. I would guess that both of these tend to correlate with education levels - leading to a lot of people not eating right because they honestly don’t know any better.
It seems likely that stress and a busy lifestyle play a part also. I’m sure there are many people out there with very little time who eat fast food - because it is fast. Working long hours, running around here and there taking care of errands and doing stuff with kids makes it very difficult for many to be at home and cook regular meals.
And for myself - whenever I feel a bit stressed I tend to grab the most saltiest, fattiest*, sugary foods I can find around the house, regardless of how much good nutritious food we have.
Its not easy to eat right with when we are constantly surrounded by food that is not good for us to eat - but tastes good. Between advertising, people around us eating badly and all the junk in grocery stores sitting real close to the good stuff - its a wonder anyone eats well.
I would still love to get more data on why people eat what they do - especially the roles that knowledge of nutrition, general education levels and stress play. With more information it would be easier to identify the groups that need the most help and then find ways to make eating right easier for them.
(* “saltiest, fattiest” - are those real words? I don’t know, but I like them - them seem to make the point better.)
March 23, 2007
Nutrition and cancer
Lots of news stories this week about diet and cancer prevention as well the prevention of diabetes.
First, in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, there is a paper presenting evidence that postmenopausal women who eat a diet high in plants, especially those rich in lignans have a lower chance of developing hormone receptor positive breast cancers. Lignan is a type of phytochemical found in many plant foods such as seeds, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Specifically in this study it was found that in over 50,000 postmenopausal French women whose diet had the highest amount of lignans had a 17% lower chance of developing breast cancer.
Another paper in the same journal shows that postmenopausal women eating a high-fat diet have an increased risk of developing invasive breast cancer. Diet information was collected in over 150,000 women and it was found that those who got 40% of their calories from fat had a 15 to 32% greater chance of getting breast cancer compared to those with only 20% of their calories coming from fat.
The International Journal of Cancer reports that women in their study who got most of their fat and protein calories from animal products, rather than plants, had a greater chance of getting endometrial cancer. And in the Journal of Nutrition researchers show that people who eat a lot of fruit and little meat have a much lower chance of having polyps which could develop into colon cancer. Out of 700 something people studied those who ate lots of meat were 70 percent more likely to have had a polyp.
And far as type 2 diabetes goes, in the American Journal of Epidemiology there is a paper by Allison Hodge of the University of Melbourne, Australia showing that people who eat more salad and cooked vegetables and less meat and other fatty foods have a much lower chance of developing the disease. Other recent research (American Journal of Public Health) shows a positive correlation between diets high in soft drinks and a risk for diabetes.
All this right after a report from the CDC indicating that most Americans are not eating anywhere near enough fruits and vegetables, putting them at a much greater risk of heart disease, cancer, etc. Apparently only a third of Americans eat anywhere near the recommended amounts.
Of course, most all of this data is derived from self-reports of what people eat which is unlikely to be completely accurate. Nevertheless it seems there is more than enough data pointing in the direction that more fruit and vegetables and less fat in the diet helps people stay healthier.
So why don’t more people eat better? I would love to know a way to do a real survey and find out the causes - what percent of people don’t know any better, which don’t care, can’t afford to eat better, how many are too stressed and busy to take the time, etc. Any one know how to have a scientifically accurate survey done? I’m guessing it would be too expensive for most people, like myself, to do it though.
August 14, 2006
Health and Disease Prevention: 10 Important Phytochemicals
Phytochemicals are found in plants and are not needed for normal body functions but have health benefits such as preventing cancer or reducing inflammation. Many of them are the chemicals that give many fruits and vegetables their bright colors. Phytochemicals are divided into several groups based on their chemical structure. Flavonoids are one of these groups and are sometimes called bioflavonoids. Flavonoids make up a large group - the first five listed here are members. Other groups include phenolic acids, hydroxycinnamic acids, lignans, carotenoids and saponins.
1) Quercetin
Quercetin is a type of flavonoid. There are indications that it may have some anti-inflammatory (inhibits production and release of histamine) and anti-cancer activity. Foods high in quercetin include apples, black & green tea and onions.
2) Resveratrol
Resveratrol is also a type of flavonoid. It is the phytochemical believed to give red wine its healthful benefits. It is made in the skin of some red grapes as an antifungal substance. Resveratrol has been shown to interfere with carcinogenesis. There are also reports of its effectiveness against aging, Huntington’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and cardiac fibrosis, but these have not been confirmed.
3) Catechins
Catechins are also in the flavonoid family of phytochemicals. They can been found in white and green tea. Catehins are believed by many to slow or prevent many cancers, some studies indicate otherwise however.
4) Cyanidin
Cyanidin is a type of anthocyanin and is also a flavonoid. It is a pigment found in mostly in berries. Cyanidin has antioxidant effects and may reduce the risk of developing cancer and heart disease. Foods high in cyanidin include blackberries, blueberries, cherries, cranberries, plums and apples.
5) Isoflavones
Isoflavones are also known as phytoestrogens and are yet another member of the flavonoid family. Subtypes of isoflavones are daidzein, genistein and glycitein. They may offer protection from some types of cancer. Foods high in isoflavones include soy,
alfalfa sprouts, peanuts and other legumes.
6) Lignans
Lignans are another type of phytoestrogen. They are antioxidants and can be found in flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and whole grains such as rye.
7) Phenolic acids
Phenolic acids include curcumin among others. Curcumin is the active ingredient of the spice turmeric and is found in mustard. Curcumin has been in the news off and on recently as a possible anti-cancer agent.
Carotenoids
Carotenoids are well known for their antioxidant effects. They are divided in two main groups: carotenes and xanthophylls. Specific well known carotenoids include beta-carotene, lycopene and lutein. Foods high in beta-carotene include yellow and orange fruits and vegetables such as carrots. Some studies have shown that lycopene can reduce the risk of cancer. Foods high in lycopene include tomatoes (and tomato sauce), watermelon and papaya. Lutein can be found in foods such as spinach, other green leafy vegetables and papaya, squash and pumpkin.
9) Saponins
Saponins can be found in legumes and grains such as soybeans and alfalfa. They may have some cholesterol lowering abilities. Saponins are also natural detergents and are sometimes used to make soap.
10) Isothiocyanates
Isothiocyanates have been shown to have anti-cancer activity. Foods include cruciferous vegetables like brocolli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage.
So far over 900 different phytochemicals have been discovered - and more are being found all the time. For this reason it is important to make sure you have lots of phytochemicals in your diet. Typical Americans do not eat of lot of fresh fruits and vegetables - yet it is essential to eat these types of foods to be able to get enough phytochemicals (as well as vitamins). Since phytochemicals are found in plants it is very important to eat lots of fruits, vegetables, legumes and grains. It is recommended to eat lots of plant based foods that are dark green or other bright colors everyday.
This list of individual phytochemicals and phytochemical families is not complete, but should give you a good place to start with improving your diet and health. For more information see the Ohio State University article: Phytochemicals - Vitamins of the Future? or Wikipedia.
(Technorati Tags: phytochemicals, resveratrol, beta-carotene, lycopene, cancer, health)
May 25, 2006
Link to original NIH report
I almost forgot, here is a link to the original NIH report:
http://consensus.nih.gov/2006/2006MultivitaminMineralSOS028html.htm
Are we taking too many vitamins and minerals?
Last week - from May 15 to the 17 - the ‘NIH (National Institutes of Health) State-of-the-Science Conference on Multivitamin/Mineral Supplements and Chronic Disease Prevention’ took place in Bethesda, MD.
The conference focused on vitamin and mineral use and explored a number of questions regarding their usefulness and safety.
The six questions are below, along with their conclusions:
1)What are the current patterns and prevalence of the public’s use of MVM (multivitamin/mineral) supplements?
- Over half of Americans take a MVM because they believe that it will help them feel better and be healthier.
- Sales of supplements to Americans are now at around $23 billion, with MVM being most of these.
- Women, elderly, better educated, wealthier, healthier lifestyle, disease survivors, chronic disease sufferers and lower BMI people tend to take them the most.
- Smokers, African Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans tend to use them less.
2)What is known about the dietary nutrient intake of MVM user versus nonusers?
- People who take MVM tend to eat healthier diets anyway.
3)What is the efficacy of single vitamin/mineral supplement use in chronic disease prevention?
The findings of the study include:
- Beta-carotene: an increase in lung cancer in smokers has been associated with use
- Vitamin B2 and niacin: decreased risk of nuclear cataracts
- Vitamin B6: no effects on cognitive decline
- Folic acid: effective when used by pregnant women in preventing neural tube defects
- Calcium and Vitamin D: used together these nutrients do help to reduce risks of fractures in postmenopausal women
4)What is the efficacy of MVM in chronic disease prevention in the general population of adults?
- Cancer: incidence of some cancers may be reduced by some vitamins or minerals, but nothing conclusive
- Cardiovascular disease: no benefits or harm were found
- Cataract: Mixed results
- Macular degeneration: one study showed benefit from vitamin C, E, beta-carotene and zinc
5)What is known about the safety of MVM for the generally health population?
Some vitamins or minerals may actually increase risks of some cancers. Consumption above the recommend UL (upper limit) may be harmful.
6)What are the major knowledge gaps and research opportunities regarding MVM use?
The panel recommends more studies to further the understanding of MVM including those related to interactions of MVM with medications and ethnic/age/gender specific studies.
********************************************************
The panel consisted of 13 members with expertise in nutrition, statistics, toxicology, geriatric medicine, pediatrics, cancer prevention, consumer protection and more. The panel was chaired by J. Michael McGinnis.
In their conclusion they stated ‘Finally, the present evidence is insufficient to recommend either for or against the use of MVMs by the American public to prevent chronic disease.’
An interesting interview with Dr. Meir J. Stampfer, Maret Traber, Ph.D. , Dr. Irwin Rosenberg and Dr. Johanna M. Seddon can be found at NPR: Experts Make Their Recommendations on Vitamins.
I like the point made by Dr. Meir J. Stampfer: ‘We can’t lose sight of the idea that just because it’s natural doesn’t mean it’s necessarily safe. Tobacco and asbestos are natural, yet they are not safe.’. That’s a very good point that gets forgotten all too often.
The point seems very clear too that it is best to get your nutrients from the food you eat rather than from supplements. I do the best I can at this, but it is not easy all the time. I wonder how many people think that if they take a vitamin they don’t need to worry about how they eat?
May 12, 2006
Soda in schools to end!
Last week major soft drink companies like Coca-Cola and PepsiCo Inc. aggreed to stop selling soda in schools! They came to this decision through encouragement from ‘The Alliance for a Healthier Generation’. ‘The Alliance for a Healthier Generation’ is a joint venture of The American Heart Association and the Clinton Foundation and was formed in 2005.
The goal of The Alliance is to reduce childhood obesity. Their four main targets are Industry, Schools, Healthcare Professionals and Children.
The new guidelines are as follows:
Elementary schools - 8 oz servings only to be sold - only unsweetened juice, low or non fat milk and water.
Middle schools - 10 oz size drinks will be allowed, otherwise the same as Elementary schools.
High schools - 12 oz sizes will be allowed. In addition to the unsweetened juice, low and non fat milk and water, they will also sell diet sodas, unsweetened tea, low calorie sports drinks, flavoured water and seltzers.
This is a great step in the right direction! Of course kids may still be drinking stuff with too much sugar at home, but this at least reduces the amount they will get. Plus, schools really should be setting a better example of healthier eating.
For more information see the Clinton Foundation web site and the The Alliance for a Healthier Generation.
April 26, 2006
Kids and soda!
Do your kids drink soda? Do you? I stopped drinking it some time ago.
Ok, I’ll admit I’ll drink a Sprite now and then, usually if I am away from home and don’t have many other choices.
But its not good to drink it. Not good at all.
Its high in sugar and calories and low in nutrients.
Obesity and diabetes are two diseases that can result from too much sugar and excess calorie intake. Other possible health problems from drinking too much soda include caffeine dependence and bone weakening (from the phosphorus).
Even the sugar free and zero calorie stuff has its problems!
There is some real scary statistics concerning soda consumption - 56% of 8 year olds drink soda everyday and 60% of schools sell it!
Although there are now many schools are no longer selling it to kids.
If you have kids, do you let them drink it? Do you set a good example by not drinking it yourself? How do you keep kids from drinking it when you’re not around to stop them or they are too old to control what they drink?
