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1 February 2018
GI News - February 2018
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
DOGS AND HEART HEALTH
Dog
owners know how much warmth and comfort their canine companions add to
their lives. A growing body of research shows they can do more than
that.
The Harvard Medical School Health Report, Get Healthy, Get a Dog,
discusses how having a dog can prompt you to be more active, help calm
jagged nerves, and reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness. Just
petting a dog can lower blood pressure and heart rate (while having a
positive effect on the dog as well). A new Swedish epidemiological study
in Scientific Reports finds it may cut your risk of death from
cardiovascular disease.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is
the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for 45% of all deaths.
Having diabetes means that you are more likely to develop heart disease
and have a greater chance of a heart attack or a stroke. As well as a
combination of healthy low GI eating, regular physical activity and
appropriate medication (and quitting smoking, if you do), there’s a
growing body of evidence suggesting having a dog can be good for your
heart.
Swedish scientists, who used national registries
of more than 3.4 million Swedes aged 40 to 80, found that dog ownership
had a dramatic effect on people who live alone, cutting the risk of
death from cardiovascular disease by 36%. In households with more people
under the same roof, dogs had less of a positive impact, but still
lowered deaths from heart disease by 15%. (Just over 13% of those in the
study had dogs.) “If you have a dog you neutralise the effects of
living alone” said Tove Fall, professor of epidemiology at Uppsala
University.
The researchers analysed the effects of
different breeds and found that owners of dogs originally bred for
hunting, such as terriers, retrievers, and scent hounds, had the lowest
risk of cardiovascular disease. People who buy hunting dogs may be more
physically active in the first place, because the dogs require so much
exercise. The relationship may work both ways though, with livelier dogs
effectively demanding that their owners do not slip into an
overly-sedentary lifestyle.
“These kinds of
epidemiological studies look for associations in large populations but
do not provide answers on whether and how dogs could protect from
cardiovascular disease. We know that dog owners in general have a higher
level of physical activity, which could be one explanation to the
observed results. Other explanations include an increased well-being and
social contacts or effects of the dog on the bacterial microbiome in
the owner. My impression is that this has to do with social support,”
said Fall. One key question is whether dogs protect humans against heart
disease by reducing blood pressure or through some other effect.
“It
may be that dog owners like to be outdoors more, or are more organised,
or more empathic,” Fall said. “There might also be differences between
owners and non-owners already before buying a dog, which could have
influenced our results, such as those people choosing to get a dog
tending to be more active and of better health.”
A recent article in The Conversation, Can pets create health in humans?
says: “A study known as the “blue zone” study has focused on factors
affecting longevity for over a decade. Nine factors have been identified
as increasing lifespan in the communities studied, and many of these
factors are increased by pets.” They include natural everyday movement,
having a sense of purpose, regular destressing activities, belonging and
commitment.
The bottom line from Harvard Health: Don't
add a dog to your life if you're not ready or able to take care of one,
and prepared to make sure it gets enough exercise. The potential
benefits for your heart health are a plus.
Read more:
- Dog ownership and the risk of cardiovascular disease and death – a nationwide cohort study (Mwenya Mubanga, Liisa Byberg, Christoph Nowak, Agneta Egenvall, Patrik K Magnusson, Erik Ingelsson, and Tove Fall, Uppsala University)
- Four ways having a pet increases your lifespan (The Conversation)
- Get Healthy, Get a Dog (Harvard Medical School Health Report)
WHAT’S NEW?
MISTAKEN BELIEFS ABOUT PET NUTRITION AND OBESITY
- Obesity in pets is at epidemic proportions.
- Obesity and overweight are an important health issue for more than half of our furry friends.
Obesity continues to be the greatest health threat to dogs and cats. It is a disease that kills millions of pets prematurely, can cause complications in almost every system in the body with conditions ranging from diabetes to osteoarthritis, creates immeasurable pain and suffering, and costs pet owners tens of millions of dollars in avoidable medical costs.
“Pet owners and vets both agree that good nutrition can extend a pet’s life. But they differ sharply on what constitutes good nutrition. Pet owners are far more likely to think corn and other grains are problematic” writes Ted Kyle in ConscienHealth. “Many think that food labelled organic and raw diets are better. And yet, none of this is supported by good evidence. In fact, no standards exist for pet foods that claim to be organic. Or “holistic”. Or for “treats”, (the pet industry’s fastest growing segment).”
All the little extras that your dog gets everyday can add up to a lot of extra calories and unbalance the diet if you’re not careful say the veterinarians at Tufts who recommend no more than 10% of calories come from foods that are not your dog’s main pet food. Experienced dog owners tend to use them only as a training tool when teaching a dog to walk on a lead, or sit etc. – a reward for good behaviour and carrying out a command.
A report in Vet Record finds that most commercially available dog treats often exceed the recommended daily energy allowance for treats. Researchers led by Giada Morelli at the University of Padua, compared the nutrient composition of different categories of treats to see if the daily intake recommendations on the label were in accordance with WSAVA guidelines. They analysed 32 popular dog treats available in pet shops and supermarkets (five biscuits, ten tender treats, three meat-based strips, five rawhides [dry bovine skin], twelve chewable sticks and six dental care sticks).
Three out of four treats contained between four to nine ingredients, and the ingredients were not precisely described. For example, biscuits and dental sticks had ‘cereals’ listed as the first ingredient, while tenders, meat strips, rawhides and chewable sticks had ‘meat and animal derivatives’ listed first. Almost half mentioned ‘sugars’ on the label's ingredient list and all contained varying amounts of minerals. The most calorically dense treats were biscuits, whereas the least calorically dense were dental sticks. When caloric density was expressed as kcal/treat, rawhides were the most energy-dense products, followed by chewable sticks and dental sticks.
Read more:
- ConscienHealth (Mistaken Beliefs about Pet Nutrition and Obesity)
- Petfoodology, Clinical Nutrition Services, Cummings Veterinary Medical Center, Tufts University
- Study of ingredients and nutrient composition of commercially available treats for dogs (Vet Record)
Researchers from the University of Liverpool's Small Animal Teaching Hospital and Royal Canin have recently completed the largest ever international weight loss trial in dogs, involving 340 veterinary practices in 27 countries across the world. All dogs received a specially-formulated high-protein high-fibre weight loss diet for a period of a three months, and the amount of weight loss was determined. In addition, owners were asked to score levels of activity, quality of life, and food-seeking behaviour throughout the trial.
The majority of dogs enrolled in the study lost weight, with the average being 11% of their starting body weight. However, differences were noted between intact and neutered dogs, with neutered dogs losing less on average. Owners also reported improvements in activity and quality of life during the study whilst, despite being on a diet, their food-seeking behaviour became less pronounced.
“While the short-term duration of the study meant that many dogs did not reach their target weight, the fact that owners observed improved activity and quality of life suggests real benefits to wellbeing,” said Professor Alex German. A spokesperson for Royal Canin added: “In addition to improvements in quality of life and activity, owners believed that their dogs begged less as the study progressed, findings that can hopefully assure pet owners that returning their pet to a healthy body condition is beneficial and worthwhile.”
Read more:
- Success of a weight loss plan for overweight dogs: The results of an international weight loss study
REIMAGINING OBESITY IN 2018
The recent JAMA theme issue on obesity includes a range of articles on its prevention and management. Edward Livingston notes in an accompanying editorial that: “The approach to the prevention and treatment of obesity needs to be reimagined. The relentless increase in the rate of obesity suggests that the strategies used to date for prevention are simply not working … From a population perspective, the increase in obesity over the past 4 decades has coincided with reductions in home cooking, greater reliance on preparing meals from packaged foods, the rise of fast foods and eating in restaurants, and a reduction in physical activity. There are excess calories in almost everything people eat in the modern era. Because of this, selecting one particular food type, like SSBs [sugar sweetened beverages], for targeted reductions is not likely to influence obesity at the population level. Rather, there is a need to consider the entire food supply and gradually encourage people to be more aware of how many calories they ingest from all sources and encourage them to select foods resulting in fewer calories eaten on a daily basis. Perhaps tax policy could be used to encourage these behaviors, with taxes based on the calorie content of foods. Revenue generated from these taxes could be used to subsidize healthy foods to make them more affordable.”
Read more:
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE OF HIGH AND LOW GI DIETS (IN MICE AND RATS)?
A systematic review and meta-analysis in Nutrients shows that male mice and rats fed high GI diets increased their body weight, body adiposity, and fasting insulin levels compared to those on low GI diets. While slowing carbohydrate digestion and absorption might be key to beneficial health effects, the low GI diets were also typically high in fibre including resistant starch which may exert mechanisms on metabolism independent of effects on postprandial glycaemia. However, the authors were not able to analyse the metabolic effect of dietary fibre as fibre content was typically not quantified in the original reporting articles, with only two paper specifying fibre content.
What about female mice and rats? “There are too few studies in female animals to be confident of effects,” report the authors calling for future experiments to include females given that the maternal nutritional environment is critical for the development of chronic diseases later in life.
Read more:
PERSPECTIVES WITH DR ALAN BARCLAY
DO HIGH CARB DIETS INCREASE THE RISK OF DIABETES?
High
carbohydrate diets, and as a consequence foods and drinks high in
carbohydrate, are the current dietary villains. Book store shelves are
lined with the latest low-carb fad diet books. Similarly, our
supermarket shelves are becoming increasingly stocked with food and
drinks that proudly declare that they are low, or at least lower, in
carbohydrate, on their food labels and associated marketing materials.
Fad diets are great for business.
The theory behind the
fad is that consumption of carbohydrate (starches and sugars) increases
blood glucose and insulin levels, ultimately increasing insulin
resistance, and therefore making it harder for our bodies to utilise fat
(from our diets as well as what’s stored in our fat cells).
Consequently, they make us get fatter. Because carbohydrate has the most
profound effect on blood glucose and insulin levels, many people also
think that reducing carbohydrate consumption may correspondingly reduce
the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. However, as explained previously
in GI News,
proteins in food can also increase insulin secretion and fats can
increase insulin requirements by increasing insulin resistance.
Unfortunately, both foods and human physiology are much more complicated
than what is portrayed in the latest fad diets.
Excess
weight – particularly carried around the middle (central obesity) – is a
well-established risk factor for type 2 diabetes, and randomised
controlled trials conducted around the globe have proven conclusively
that losing at least 7% of initial body weight will prevent its
development in people with pre-diabetes (elevated fasting blood glucose
or impaired glucose tolerance).
One of the best
examples of this can be found in the Diabetes Prevention Program, which
was a large (more than 3000 people), multi-centre randomised controlled
clinical trial, which commenced in the USA in the mid-1990s.
Participants were over 25, had a BMI over 24 kg/m2, and had
pre-diabetes. They were randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1)
placebo; (2) metformin; or (3) intense lifestyle.
People
assigned to the intense lifestyle group were encouraged to achieve and
maintain over 7% weight loss (based on their initial body weight) and
were counselled to follow a reduced-energy (calorie/kilojoule), low-fat
(also low in saturated fat) diet and to engage in more than 150 minutes
of moderate-intensity physical activity each week. After an average of 2
years and 9 months, people in the lifestyle group had a 58% (3 out of
5) decrease in risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and due to these
outstanding results, the trial was discontinued. Careful analysis of the
data demonstrated that weight loss through reduced energy intake and
increased physical activity was the main driver of their reduced
diabetes risk.
Participants’ dietary intake was
estimated at the beginning of the study (baseline) and 1 year later
using a validated food frequency questionnaire. At baseline, body weight
was inversely associated with total carbohydrate consumption and
positively associated with total and saturated fat consumption. In other
words, diets higher in total and saturated fat and lower in
carbohydrate were associated with increased body weight. Similarly,
weight loss at 1 year was strongly associated with increased
carbohydrate consumption – in particular from foods that were naturally
high in dietary fibre like fruits, vegetables and legumes. Weight loss
was also associated with decreases in total and saturated fat
consumption.
There are several potential reasons why
increasing carbohydrate from fruits, vegetables and legumes are
associated with weight loss:
- High carbohydrate and high fibre foods generally have a lower energy density (Calories or kilojoules per gram of food), but are very filling.
- The dietary fibres stimulate the production of short-chain fatty acids in the colon, which may alter energy metabolism in our liver, muscles and fat tissues.
- Soluble dietary fibres from these foods slow down the passage of the carbohydrate from the stomach and intestine and slow their absorption into the blood.
- The carbohydrate and fibre provide important fuel for the microbiome, which in turn effects energy balance.
Based on the best available evidence, dietary patterns that encourage the regular consumption of quality carbohydrates do not increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Quite the contrary.
Read more:
- A High-Carbohydrate, High-Fiber, Low-Fat Diet Results in Weight Loss among Adults at High Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
- Prevention or Delay of Type 2 Diabetes - Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes—2018
Alan Barclay, PhD is a consultant dietitian. He worked for Diabetes Australia (NSW) from 1998–2014 . He is author/co-author of more than 30 scientific publications, and author/co-author of The good Carbs Cookbook (Murdoch Books), Reversing Diabetes (Murdoch Books), The Low GI Diet: Managing Type 2 Diabetes (Hachette Australia) and The Ultimate Guide to Sugars and Sweeteners (The Experiment, New York).
Contact: You can follow him on Twitter.
KEEPING IT GREEN – EATING FOR BODY AND PLANET
WASTE NOT
According to the FAO, one-third of the food grown worldwide is wasted. That’s enough to feed all the hungry people in the world and leave leftovers. It also worsens our carbon footprint because we are wasting the water, fertiliser and energy used to produce food we throw away. Each one of us can make a difference (and save money – Australians throw away AUD$3800 worth of food a year). Here are our favourite food and money saving tips.
Eat the skin You might not be game enough to eat furry kiwi skin, but where possible eat the skin from your fruits and vegetables. Not only does it waste less, but often the brightly coloured skins from fruits like apples are a concentrated source of antioxidants and fibre. Off-cuts like carrot peels, onion and tomato tops, herb stalks and celery leaves can be saved in a sealed bag in the freezer and then used later along with a chicken carcass to make homemade stock.
Keep it fresh The way that you store foods can keep them fresh for an extra few days, or weeks. Store most fruits (not bananas) and vegetables in the fridge to keep them fresh. For fruits that ripen after picking, such as stone fruits, bring them out of the fridge to the fruit bowl a few at a time to ripen. Having them on display also encourages people to eat them. Keep leafy greens wrapped in paper towels inside bags or containers in the fridge to keep them crisp, and the slime at bay. Herbs can even be kept longer with their ‘feet’ in a glass or jar of water topped with a plastic bag. Wash fruits and vegetables just before you eat them, not before you store – moisture attracts mould. Freeze raw meats within a few days so you don’t forget them in the back of the fridge. Freeze loaves of sliced bread to keep them fresh, and then take slices out as you need them. Store dry goods such as breakfast cereal in airtight containers (or better yet, upcycled old jars) to help keep them fresh.
Don’t bin it, use it When your food is looking past its prime, don’t automatically bin it, be creative and use it. Toast old bread to make croutons for soup or toss them through your salad. Freeze over-ripe fruits such as bananas and berries and use them to make smoothies. Make a quick berry jam by adding the mushy fruit and sugar in a jar and microwave until it becomes jam-like, then put it in the fridge to enjoy with yoghurt, porridge, ice cream or on wholegrain toast. Cut the bruised bits out of fruits and stew them and serve with yoghurt or custard. Rescue limp veggies out of your fridge and use them to make soups, stews, pizza toppings or homemade veggie juice. Get creative with your leftover cooked meats and use them to make toasted sandwiches, quesadillas, nachos, frittata, omelette, salads, soups, pies and casseroles.
Compost if you can Eggshells, coffee grounds, tea leaves, fruit peels (not citrus) and vegetable scraps can all be composted. This may come as a surprise, but fruit and vegetable scraps decompose differently in landfill than in a compost bin. Unlike compost, landfill is lacking in oxygen therefore the organic scraps produce methane gas – a greenhouse gas 26 times stronger as they break down than carbon dioxide. Worm farms are also an excellent way to dispose of food scraps and create valuable compost for the garden. For apartment dwellers, Bokashi bins are a clever way to get rid of food scraps if you don’t have a garden.
Keeping it green, in a nutshell:
- Save money and reduce your environmental footprint by wasting less food.
- To keep your food fresh, store it correctly: fresh foods in the fridge or freezer and dry goods in airtight containers.
- To minimise waste and maximise nutrition, use all your fruits and vegetable, and compost any scraps.
- Rescue food past their prime and cook them up into new dishes
- Transform your leftovers into a new meal.
Read more:
Thanks to Rachel Ananin AKA TheSeasonalDietitian.com for her assistance with this article.
Nicole Senior is an Accredited Nutritionist, author, consultant, cook, food enthusiast and mother who strives to make sense of nutrition science and delights in making healthy food delicious.
Contact: You can follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or check out her website.
GOOD CARBS FOOD FACTS A TO Z
CHIA SEEDS
Foodwatch nutritionist
Catherine Saxelby brought chia seeds (Salvia hispanica) to our
attention in 2009. In August GI News that year she wrote that they:
“look like tiny sesame seeds and can be black, white or grey. Like all
seeds, they are high in fat especially the good fats… They are one of
the richest sources of the plant form of omega-3 called ALA. They are
also big on fibre. In fact, at 37% they are an outstanding source of
fibre, in particular of soluble fibre. They have the ability to absorb a
high volume of liquid and become thick and gelatinous, thanks to some
mucilages … They contain 15% protein – as much as from wheat – and a
variety of vitamins, minerals and trace elements including folate,
phosphorus, iron, manganese, copper and potassium. Like almonds and
sesame seeds, they have a surprisingly high content of calcium, usually
found in dairy foods, but how well this is absorbed is debatable.”
It’s easy to add them to your daily diet.
- Sprinkle them on yoghurt, cereal, oatmeal, muesli, granola and salads.
- Stir them into dressings. The seeds don’t form a gel in oil-based foods.
- Blend into a morning smoothie.
Source: USDA
IN THE GI NEWS KITCHEN
STICKS, SEEDS, PODS AND LEAVES
Kate contributed the recipes to Ian Hemphill’s best-selling Spice and Herb Bible. You will find more of her recipes on the Herbies spices website. Or you can follow her on Instagram (@herbieskitchen).
Kate uses Herbies spices and blends in her cooking, but you can substitute with what you have on hand in your pantry.
APPLE AND ALMOND OVERNIGHT OATS WITH CHIA SEEDS
Based on a bircher muesli recipe, these oats are a delicious, ready-made breakfast to kickstart the day. Herbie's Fragrant Sweet Spices
blend contains coriander seed, cassia, cinnamon quills, nutmeg,
allspice, ginger, poppy seeds, cloves, cardamom and rose petals. Quick
steel cut oats (Uncle Toby’s) have a low GI (53).
• Prep time: 10 mins
• Refrigerate: 12 hours (overnight)
• Serves: 6
2 cups quick steel-cut oats
¼ cup white chia seeds
1½ cups cloudy apple juice
2 cups reduced fat milk (or almond milk)
1 granny smith apple, grated
1 tsp Herbies Fragrant Sweet Spices
Topping
1 granny smith apple, cut into matchsticks
½ cup slivered almonds
½ cup flaked coconut
Honey (optional)
Plain Greek yoghurt
Combine
the oats, chia seeds, apple juice, milk, grated apple and spices in a
bowl and mix well. • Place in an airtight container and refrigerate
overnight. • Serve topped with apple matchsticks, almonds and coconut, a
drizzle of honey if using and a dollop of yoghurt.
Per serve (with milk)
1395kJ/335
calories; 11g protein; 16g fat (includes 4g saturated fat; saturated :
unsaturated fat ratio 0.5); 32g available carbs (includes 16g sugars and
16g starches); 8g fibre; 63mg sodium; 504mg potassium; sodium :
potassium ratio 0.13
CHRISSY FREER’S FOOD WITH ADDED LIFE
As
a qualified nutritionist, Chrissy’s philosophy is simple: limit the
amount of processed food in your diet and focus on whole foods. “By
returning to eating whole foods, that is foods in their most natural
state, we allow our bodies to benefit from all the available nutrients
that food can provide.” Steer clear of food fads and miracle cures, if
it sounds too good to be true then it probably is!
CHIA-CRUSTED SALMON WITH STIR-FRIED ASIAN GREENS AND TAMARI DRESSING
Chia
seeds are a great alternative to breadcrumb crusts (and are gluten
free). Combining them with and salmon ensures this meal is packed with
essential fatty acids. It’s also packed with the goodness of Asian
greens. Stir frying or lightly steaming these greens is the best way to
preserve their nutrients and flavour. Prep: 10 minutes • Cook 10 •
Serves 4
2 tbsp white chia seeds
2 tbsp black chia seeds
4 x 150g (5oz) skinless salmon fillets
2 bunches choy sum, washed and trimmed
2 tbsp sunflower oil
3
cm (1½in) piece ginger, peeled and julienned
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Tamari Dressing
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp tamari
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine
1 tsp caster sugar
Combine
white and black chia seeds on a plate. Press each salmon fillet in the
chia seeds to evenly coat one side, then set aside. • Remove the stems
from the choy sum, cut in half if long and reserve. To make the tamari
dressing, put all the ingredients in a small bowl and stir to dissolve
the sugar. • Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large non-stick frying
pan over high heat. Cook the salmon, chia side down, for 2–3 minutes or
until golden. Turn and cook for a further 2 minutes (for medium), or
until cooked to your liking. Set aside and keep warm. • Meanwhile, heat
the remaining oil in a large wok or frying pan over high heat. Add the
ginger and garlic and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add the choy sum stems
and stir fry for 1–2 minutes, then add the choy sum leaves and stir fry
for 1 minute more or until almost wilted. Add half the dressing and toss
to combine. • To serve, divide the choy sum between serving plates, top
each with a piece of salmon and drizzle over a little of the remaining
dressing. •Serve with steamed noodles or rice.
Per serve (without rice or noodles)
1919kJ/457
calories; 38g protein; 30g fat (includes 5g saturated fat; saturated :
unsaturated fat ratio 0.56); 5g available carbs (includes 5g sugars and
0g starches); 4g fibre; 560mg sodium; 630mg potassium; sodium :
potassium ratio 0.89
INDIAN SCRAMBLED EGGS
Delicious
for breakfast or brunch, spicy scrambled eggs with mushrooms makes a
tasty light meal any time of day. Portabella mushrooms (sometimes
spelled Portobello) are larger than the regular white mushroom with an
almost meaty texture and the perfect partner topping scrambled eggs on
low GI Burgen toast. As dietitian Glenn Cardwell reminded us in GI News,
“mushroom eaters get many health benefits (one serve provides more than
20% of our daily needs of the essential nutrients riboflavin, niacin,
pantothenic acid, biotin, copper and selenium)”. Recipe courtesy Total
Wellbeing Diet’s new Protein Balance program. Prep 5 mins •Cook 10 mins • Serves 1
1 tsp olive oil
2 Portabella mushrooms, sliced (60g/2oz)
2 garlic cloves, sliced (optional)
cooking oil spray
2 x 60g/2oz eggs
¼ cup milk
1 tsp turmeric
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
25g (¾oz) cheddar cheese
1 tbsp coriander leaves
1 slice low GI Burgen bread, toasted
Heat
olive oil in a small frypan over medium-high heat. Cook mushrooms and
garlic for 2–3 minutes or until golden. Set aside. •Whisk together eggs
and milk in a jug. •Heat a small frypan over medium heat and spray with
cooking oil. Add turmeric and cumin seeds and toast for 1 minute or
until fragrant. Pour in egg mixture and grate over cheese. Once eggs are
set around the edges, begin to fold egg mixture over itself until
almost cooked. • Serve scrambled eggs and mushrooms on toast topped with
coriander leaves.
Per serve
1884kJ/451
calories; 33g protein; 26g fat (includes 9g saturated fat; saturated :
unsaturated fat ratio 0 : 53); 14g available carbs (includes 5g sugars
and 9g starches); 4g fibre; 464mg sodium
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Nutritional analysis To analyse Australian foods, beverages, processed products and recipes, we use FoodWorks which contains the AusNut and Nuttab databases. If necessary, this is supplemented with data from www.calorieking.com.au or http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search.
Disclaimer GI News endeavours to check the veracity of news stories cited in this free e-newsletter by referring to the primary source, but cannot be held responsible for inaccuracies in the articles so published. GI News provides links to other World Wide Web sites as a convenience to users, but cannot be held responsible for the content or availability of these sites. All recipes that are included within GI News have been analysed however they have not been tested for their glycemic index properties by an accredited laboratory according to the ISO standards.
© ®™ The University of Sydney, Australia
1 January 2018
GI News - January 2018
GI News is published by the University of Sydney, School of Life and Environmental Sciences and the Charles Perkins Centre
Publisher: Professor Jennie Brand-Miller, AM, PhD, FAIFST, FNSA
Editor: Philippa Sandall
Scientific Editor/Managing Editor: Alan Barclay, PhD
Contact GI News: glycemic.index@gmail.com
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Manager: Fiona Atkinson, PhD
Contact: sugirs.manager@sydney.edu.au
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT
DITCH THE DIET – IT IS ONLY MAKING YOU FATTER
Dr Nick Fuller, Research Director at Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, recently published Interval Weight Loss: How to Trick Your Body into Losing Weight One Month at a Time (Ebury Press). The
goal is to lose a small amount of weight and then to take a break,
maintaining the new body weight for a period of time before losing
another small amount. Here he explains how it works.
“The reason diets don’t work and many people end up dieting
themselves fatter and fatter is because we are tuned to a set body
weight – a weight that our body feels most comfortable being. When we
take our body out of that comfort zone through dieting or a reduction of
energy intake, our body works to counteract the weight loss and in a
state of stress the body’s innate response will be to store rather than
offload weight.
This is in part a fight or flight
response (in this instance, the energy restriction is the acute stress
our body is responding to) and is core to the survival of the human
species. The weight regain comes with a greater initial increase in fat
mass. However, our body weight will often keep going up until our muscle
mass stores are restored and what you end up with is a body that has a
little extra fat storage to survive the next “starvation” (otherwise
known as a diet) it has learned it needs to prepare for.
If
you want to lose weight and keep it off forever, you need to trick your
body into a new set point. That’s the basis of the Interval Weight Loss
approach. Here’s how it works.
- Month 1: Aim to lose about 2kg (4lb 4oz), that’s around ½ a kilo (500 grams) or a bit over 1lb a week (17oz).
- Month 2: Maintain that new weight.
- Month 3: Aim to lose about 2kg (4lb 4oz).
- Month 4: Maintain that new weight.
- Month 5: Aim to lose about 2kg (4lb 4oz.
- Month 6: Maintain that new weight.
And to continue month by month with the above plan until you achieve your realistic goal weight. So, rather than activating the fight or flight response, the body is gently challenged to redefine its baseline body weight until you achieve your goal.”
Nick is currently leading an Interval Weight Loss challenge on Channel Ten’s Studio 10 which will guide five people through a controlled lifestyle plan, with lasting results. “The selected viewers will follow Interval Weight Loss for a year under my health care professional advice and we will show the Australian people how to actually go about weight loss,” he added, “and in the confines of their day to day lives, unlike the weight loss shows we are used to in the past, where contestants are taken to secluded environments and forced to do activities they cannot sustain.”
Read more:
WHAT’S NEW?
GOOD CARBS CONSENSUS
The
International Carbohydrate Quality Consortium (ICQC) released a public
statement outlining the scientific consensus on the health benefits of
eating wholegrain foods such as brown rice, oats, corn, barley and more
in November 2017. Most of the studies the consensus statement was based
on were observational as there are very few clinical trials in this
area. However, a recent randomised cross-over trial with two 8-week
dietary intervention periods comprising whole grain diets and refined
grain diets, separated by a washout period of around 6 weeks, has found
that a wholegrain diet will reduce energy intake and body weight and the
low-grade systemic inflammation markers CRP and IL-6.
Wholegrains
are seeds and as food guru Harold McGhee says: “our most durable and
concentrated foods … the rugged lifeboats designed to carry a plant’s
offspring to the shore of an uncertain future. Tease apart a whole
grain, or bean, or nut, and inside you find a tiny embryonic shoot”. And
that’s why they are so nourishing: they are a baby plant’s pantry. And
that’s also why we along with insects, birds and animals seek them out.
The process of milling and refining grains consists of separating and
removing the bran and germ. This gives us a more shelf-stable and
quicker cooking end product, but means it lacks many of the vitamins,
minerals, fats, and fibre of the original grain.
"There
are many positive studies showing that a lack of cereal fibre is
associated with increased risk of colon cancer," says Prof Jennie
Brand-Miller. “One body of thought is that when people consume
carbohydrates without fibre it quickly raises insulin levels and the
insulin stimulates the growth of mutant cells, such as colon cancer
cells. "Insulin is this anabolic hormone that doesn't distinguish
between good cells and bad cells, so the insulin is increasing the
multiplication of mutant cells and sort of acting like fertiliser,"
explained Prof Miller. When you ingest the whole grain, she says, the
body benefits from the "full compliment of micronutrients and
antioxidants" like Vitamin E and C, which help slow down the process of
free radicals.”
“Grains are at their most nourishing
when we eat them as whole as possible or as the minimally processed
staples our forebears enjoyed,” write Dr Alan Barclay et al in The Good
Carbs Cookbook. “They certainly figure prominently in the diets of the
long-living Blue Zones folks, and observational studies around the world
suggest that eating plenty of wholegrain staples may reduce the risk of
developing certain types of cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
That’s why health professionals tend to worship at the altar of
wholegrains and the words ‘consume more wholegrains’ are in dietary
guidelines around the globe.”
Read more:
- Whole grain-rich diet reduces body weight and systemic low-grade inflammation without inducing major changes of the gut microbiome: a randomised cross-over trial
- Download the ICQC Scientific Consensus on Whole Grains
- The Good Carbs Cookbook (Murdoch Books)
To find the intersection of two contentious issues, look no further than the environment and dietary guidelines. On the environment, the current U.S. administration is busy wiggling out of commitments to reduce carbon emissions. On dietary guidelines, battles rage on multiple fronts – fats, red meat, and sugar are all hot topics. Undeterred, brave Dutch scientists have waded in and analyzed the potential impact of dietary guidelines on the environment. ConscienHealth’s Ted Kyle reports.
What happens if people start following guidelines? That seems like an innocent question and that’s what Paul Behrens and colleagues tried to answer. They looked at 37 nations with 64% of the world’s population. They compared average diets in each of those countries with the diets recommended by the local government. The goal was to estimate the effect that following recommendations would have on land use, water pollution, and carbon emissions. Their answers are impressive. On all three measures they found significant improvements, just from following guidelines that each country has already adopted. If we eat a bit less meat, dairy, fats, and sugars, both the planet and its inhabitants will be a bit healthier. In other words, “diets good for our health are also good for our planet,” says Professor Brian Morris of the University of Sydney.
Read more:
- Evaluating the environmental impacts of dietary recommendations
- US Dietary Guidelines
- Australian Dietary Guidelines
Obesity is complex. Nutrition is important, but it isn’t magical, writes Ted Kyle in ConscienHealth. In the “magic of nutrition” world, however, obesity is simple. One pound of fat is the result of eating 3,500 calories. In this magical kingdom, the Mayo Clinic tells us: Your weight is a balancing act, but the equation is simple: If you eat more calories than you burn, you gain weight. Because 3,500 calories equals about 1 pound (0.45 kilogram) of fat, you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you take in to lose 1 pound.
More than 25 years ago, David Garner and Susan Wooley wrote that dietary approaches to obesity, by themselves, are inadequate for solving the problem. And yet this apparently comes as a revelation in a recent paper by David Benton and Hayley Young: Reducing calorie intake may not help you lose body weight.
Texas Tech University’s Prof Emily Dhurandhar tells us that she encounters shock when she teaches about the interaction of calories and human biology: Energy balance is dynamic and adaptable, but it is not above the first law of thermodynamics. You should see the look on their faces when I tell them the 3,500-calorie rule is wrong.
Shock and anger make people resistant to learning. And thus, we have policies to address obesity that have had little apparent impact. Public health experts tell us that we need only to cut 41 calories per day from the diets of children to solve the problem. So, we should not be surprised that obesity continues to rise, even among young children. Until we face facts and discard magical thinking, we will have little luck with reducing the health impact of obesity.
Read more:
- Reducing calorie intake may not help you lose body weight
- Blame, diversions and ten times more childhood obesity
- Sara Kirk: This is why child obesity rates have soared (The Conversation)
- ConscienHealth
Choosing healthy low GI carbohydrate foods is a key dietary choice. The Glycemic Index Foundation’s new website (gisymbol.com), provides a one-stop shop for healthy low GI living with recipes, meals plans, and downloadable resources. Research around the world over the past 35-plus years has clearly shown that by switching to eating mainly low GI carbs that trickle glucose into our bloodstream, we can reduce our day-long blood glucose and insulin levels thus helping us:
- Manage our appetite because we will feel fuller for longer
- Minimise our body fat
- Maximise our muscle mass
- Decrease our risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Here’s the 2-step approach going low GI.
- Step 1: Swap it: Replace the high GI foods in your diet with low GI ones. Find out how to do this HERE.
- Step 2: Don’t overload it: Keep those portions of carb-rich foods on your plate moderate to keep the glycemic load (GL) moderate. What’s moderate? It’s about a quarter of your dinner plate (inner rim) or 2–3 small, lower GI potatoes, ½ cup diced orange fleshed sweet potato or corn kernels or baked beans and ⅓ cup cooked basmati or other lower GI rice or pasta.
Read more:
- Low glycaemic index, or low glycaemic load, diets for diabetes mellitus
- Initiative on gestational diabetes mellitus: A pragmatic guide for diagnosis, management, and care
- Low glycaemic index diets and blood lipids: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
- The Diogenes study
PERSPECTIVES WITH DR ALAN BARCLAY
WHICH WEIGHT LOSS DIET HELPS YOU TO LOSE WEIGHT AND LIVE LONGER?
New
year’s resolutions often include promises to lose weight. While
increasing physical activity is commonly part of the equation, for most
people, the burden of weight loss reduction focuses on the “diet”. The
problem is, which diet? Around 2,500 new “diet” books are published each
year – all proclaiming that their way is the only way to lose weight
and keep it off. As there are only three major nutrients – fat,
carbohydrate and protein – these “diets” typically manipulate (increase
or decrease) one or two of these macronutrients to achieve the desired
result. We only have to think about which diets have been popular over
the past 50 years or so to understand what is going on: low-carb diets
were fashionable in the 1970s; low-fat diets dominated the 80s and 90s;
now “low carb” has made a comeback. Food is fad when it comes to
“diets”.
But there are some good sound facts about
“diets”. Over the past 50 years, nutrition scientists have carried out
numerous randomized controlled trials investigating the effects of
various weight-loss diets on body weight and mortality (yes, death) and
the findings of these studies give us enough data to summarize their
effects using systematic review and meta-analysis statistical
techniques.
The most recent analysis looked at
long-term studies (greater than one year) of adults with a BMI greater
than 30kg/m2 in people from a European background and BMI greater than
25kg/m2 in people from other backgrounds including Asia and India. This
meta-analysis clearly shows there is level 1 evidence that low-fat diets
in combination with physical activity help people lose weight.
The
researchers found 54 trials involving 30,206 people who were followed
for up to 12 years. All but one of the trials included weight-loss
interventions that were low fat (less than 30% of energy from fat), and
most were also low in saturated fat. One study included the
Mediterranean diet and one was very low carb (less than 50 grams of
carb-containing foods a day). Most of the interventions included
exercise advice or an exercise program.
After one year,
the average weight reduction was 3.42kg (7.5 lb); at 2 years it was
2.51kg (5.5 lb); and at 3 years it was 2.56kg (5.6 lb). It may not sound
like a lot of weight, but these results are all statistically
significant and equivalent to each person losing and keeping off at
least five (500g/1.1lb) tubs of margarine or butter. This amount of
weight loss was also enough to have some significant effects on the risk
of premature death – a nearly 20% reduction in fact, or 6 lives saved
per 1000 people.
We are the first to agree that
one-size does not fit all when it comes to dietary patterns. But it is
important to note that at this point in time, there is not equivalent
level 1 evidence for the efficacy of long-term use of low-carb diets.
Read more:
- Effects of weight loss interventions for adults who are obese on mortality, cardiovascular disease, and cancer: systematic review and meta-analysis
- Effect of diet and exercise, alone or combined, on weight and body composition in overweight-to-obese post-menopausal women
- A High-Carbohydrate, High-Fiber, Low-Fat Diet Results in Weight Loss among Adults at High Risk of Type 2 Diabetes – I will cover this study in a future issue of GI News.
Alan Barclay, PhD is a consultant dietitian. He worked for Diabetes Australia (NSW) from 1998–2014 . He is author/co-author of more than 30 scientific publications, and author/co-author of The good Carbs Cookbook (Murdoch Books), Reversing Diabetes (Murdoch Books), The Low GI Diet: Managing Type 2 Diabetes (Hachette Australia) and The Ultimate Guide to Sugars and Sweeteners (The Experiment, New York).
KEEPING IT GREEN – EATING FOR BODY AND PLANET
5 MORE SUSTAINABLE NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS
Have
you made any New Year’s resolutions? If you resolved to lose weight,
eat healthier and exercise more, you have just joined a very big club as
lifestyle improvements are some of the most popular. This year, why
don’t you consider environmental sustainability as well as your health?
There are many things you can do that can help both at the same time.
Drive less
Transportation is responsible for a hefty chunk of our energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (it’s about one-quarter in Australia and the USA).
Try walking, cycling or even skating instead of driving as often as you
can; it burns kilojoules/calories, it’s free and creates zero GHG
emissions. And you can soak up more of your surroundings instead of
whizzing straight past in a haze of exhaust fumes. Heck, you may smile
and greet a stranger and create a bit more peace and harmony in the
world while you’re at it. Catching public transport is better for the
environment than driving a car and you usually have a little walk at the
beginning and end of the journey.
Drink water
Disposable plastic bottles made up a whopping one-quarter of the litter removed Australia-wide by Clean Up Australia Day
volunteers. This is equal to 3600 tonnes of plastic containers in 2016
alone. To put this into perspective this is equal to the weight of
around 1000 mid-sized cars. In the USA
40 million containers are estimated to be thrown away every day, and
only 30% are recycled. These figures are horrifying when you think of
where all these bottles end up: in landfill and our waterways. This year
buy a reusable drink bottle and drink water instead of sugary drinks.
If you must buy a plastic or glass container, please recycle it, even if
you have to take it home first. This is a healthier option both for you
and the environment.
Meat-less Monday
A good steak is a great
thing, but did you know animal foods make up a large portion of our
food-footprint? Around 2kg of greenhouse gas emissions are made in the
production of just 80g of lamb.
The same emissions arise from a comparatively large 2kg of lentils. Not
only are plant foods better for the environment; they are also great
for our health, so this is a win-win. Make plant foods the basis of your
diet and eat just enough of the animal foods your body requires and
waste nothing.
Reduce packaging
In some
Sydney preschools, children are given re-usable sandwich bags and water
bottles to help them achieve waste-free lunches when they go to ‘big
school’. This helps reduce plastic in landfill and reduces litter in
school playgrounds. A waste-free lunch is a worthy goal for grown-ups
too. When you shop for snacks like muesli (granola) bars, nuts, canned
fruit, dried fruit, milk and yoghurt, try to avoid individually wrapped
items and instead make your own or buy in bulk and portion them out in
re-usable containers. For the unavoidable soft plastic packaging waste,
find out where you can recycle it. In Australia, the two major
supermarkets have soft plastic recycling bins.
Fill your cup
Disposable coffee cups are an environmental disaster. ABC’s War on Waste
TV series revealed around 50,000 cups, enough to fill one Melbourne
tram, are binned by Aussies every 30 minutes! The situation is likely to
be similar in other coffee-loving countries. Contrary to popular
belief, most disposable cups are not recyclable as they are lined with
plastic to stop leaking. Why not have fewer coffees and treat yourself
to a fair-trade barista-made coffee and drink it from your own
personalised re-usable cup.
The un-plugged truth
- Take active transport whenever possible; that is, human powered rather than fossil fuel powered.
- Drink water in a re-usable bottle to save pollution and reduce empty kilojoules/calories in sweet drinks (soda).
- Enjoy a plant-based diet with just enough animal foods.
- Reduce your waste and your waistline by eating fewer packaged foods (and always recycle).
- Avoid disposable coffee cups and take your own re-usable cup.
Nicole Senior is an Accredited Nutritionist, author, consultant, cook, food enthusiast and mother who strives to make sense of nutrition science and delights in making healthy food delicious.
Contact: You can follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or check out her website.
GOOD CARBS FOOD FACTS A TO Z
APPLES
We’re
apple lovers to our core, smitten at first bite. There’s that sharp
“crack!” as you break the crispy skin and then a mouthful of juicy,
slightly grainy flesh. Although available year round, new season apples
appear in the produce aisles from late summer through autumn. And that’s
when they are at their crisp and crunchy, sweet and juicy best. Did you
know that the plants that eventually produced apple trees were among
the first flowering plants on earth evolving about 4.5 million years ago
in Central Asia.
The wild apple (Malus sieversii),
ancestor of most cultivars of the domesticated apple (M. domestica), is
still producing tasty apples on the slopes of Central Asia’s Tian Shan
mountains. Domestic apples are grown on every continent (apart from
Antarctica), which is why they are so readily available to pack in lunch
boxes; grate over muesli; slice into salads; braise with caraway and
cabbage; serve with pork; and lovingly bake into muffins, pies and
tarts.
Fruit bowl or fridge? Keep apples cold to
prevent them from ripening further. Since most apples are picked at peak
ripeness, additional "ripening" actually means "decaying"—and this
process speeds up tenfold when the fruit is left at room temperature.
But to enjoy that juicy, crisp, texture you need to store them in
plastic bags in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator rather than in a
fruit bowl on the bench. They will keep this way for many weeks. It is a
dilemma if your approach is “if it’s healthy keep it handy”.
We
think it’s a good idea to have the best of both. Keep most of the
apples in the refrigerator and put a few in a small bowl to encourage
the family to snack on good carbs rather than heading for the cookie
jar.
So, while the so-called exotic super fruits are
winning all the plaudits these days, Nicole Senior reckons that “apples
are the everyday hero with good levels of fibre, vitamin C and potassium
and the highest levels of antioxidants of all the commonly eaten (and
more affordable) fruits”.
Source: USDA
IN THE GI NEWS KITCHEN
FROM THE GOOD CARBS COOKBOOK
Good Carbs Cookbook by Dr Alan Barclay, Kate McGhie and Philippa Sandall
(Murdoch Books, RRP $39.99)
Photography by Alan Benson
LAMB SHANKS WITH GARDEN PEAS AND MINT
Lamb
and pearl barley are a natural pairing and 1 large shank is enough for
two people generally, though it depends how hungry they are. This is a
one-pot meal you can prepare quickly and leave to gently cook. Add tiny
whole carrots, peeled garlic cloves and extra onions with the barley if
you like. Prep: 15 minutes • Cook 2 hours • Serves 6
1 tablespoon (20ml) olive oil.
4 large lamb shanks.
1 brown onion, chopped.
About 4 cups (1 litre) chicken stock.
1½ cups pearl barley.
1½ cups garden peas.
1 handful mint leaves, fresh.
1 large orange, zest and juice.
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
Preheat
the oven to 180ºC/350ºF (fan 160ºC/315ºF). • Place a large casserole
dish on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Pour in the oil and, when
hot, add the shanks to brown all over, turning occasionally, for about 8
minutes. Push the shanks to the side of the dish slightly and reduce
the heat. Add the onion and cook for about 8 minutes, or until golden.
Pour in the stock, bring to a lively simmer, cover and place in the oven
for about 1½ hours, or until the shanks are tender. •Rinse the barley,
drain and add it to the casserole dish, making sure it is covered in
liquid. If not, add a little more stock. Cover and cook for about 25–30
minutes, or until barley is al dente, adding the peas in the last 5
minutes of cooking. Roughly chop half the mint and stir it in with the
orange zest and juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Using forks, pull
the meat from the bone and serve with the barley and pea mixture,
garnished with the remaining mint leaves.
Per serve
1665kJ/400
calories; 27g protein; 13.5g fat (includes 5g saturated fat; saturated :
unsaturated fat ratio 0.56); 37.5g available carbs (includes 4g sugars
and 33.5g starches); 8g fibre; 560mg sodium; 630mg potassium; sodium :
potassium ratio 0.89
STICKS, SEEDS, PODS and LEAVES
Kate Hemphill’s recipes. Kate contributed the recipes to Ian Hemphill’s best-selling Spice and Herb Bible. You will find more of her recipes on the Herbies spices website. Or you can follow her on Instagram (@herbieskitchen). Kate uses Herbies spices and blends, but you can substitute with what you have in your pantry.
BROWN RICE TUNA POKE BOWL WITH FURIKAKE
The
poke (poke-ay) bowl is the dish of the moment – full of healthy
ingredients and great flavour. The possibilities are endless, just
combine your favourite veg and protein, use the citrus & soy
dressing, and top with Furikake Japanese seasoning
(also called Japanese seasoning, umami sprinkle. It contains toasted
sesame seeds, black sesame seeds, sea salt, nori flakes (nagai, sea
lettuce, Ulva spp.), minced red chilli, orange peel, sansho powder and a little sugar. • Prep time: 15 mins • Cook time: 5 mins • Serves: 2
250g (9oz) sashimi grade tuna fillet, cut into 1cm (½in) dice
250g (2 cups) cooked short grain brown rice
1 carrot, grated or spiralised
½ cup fresh soy beans (shelled edamame)
½ cup finely sliced red cabbage
10 snow peas, finely sliced
2 tbsp (30ml) pickled ginger
4 spring onions, finely sliced
1–2 tsp Herbie's Furikake Seasoning
Dressing:
⅓ cup lemon juice
⅓ cup light soy sauce
¼ cup lime juice
2 tbsp (30ml) soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
Combine
dressing ingredients, then pour half over tuna dice and refrigerate for
10 minutes while preparing salad. • To assemble bowl, place rice on the
bottom then top with vegetables; pour over remaining dressing, then top
with tuna, spring onions and furikake. • Serve immediately.
Per serve
2210kJ/530
calories; 45g protein; 9g fat (includes 2g saturated fat; saturated :
unsaturated fat ratio 0.29); 58g available carbs (includes 10g sugars
and 48g starches); 12g fibre; 1729mg sodium; 1332mg potassium; sodium :
potassium ratio 1.30
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Nutritional analysis To analyse Australian foods, beverages, processed products and recipes, we use FoodWorks which contains the AusNut and Nuttab databases. If necessary, this is supplemented with data from www.calorieking.com.au or http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search.
Disclaimer GI News endeavours to check the veracity of news stories cited in this free e-newsletter by referring to the primary source, but cannot be held responsible for inaccuracies in the articles so published. GI News provides links to other World Wide Web sites as a convenience to users, but cannot be held responsible for the content or availability of these sites. All recipes that are included within GI News have been analysed however they have not been tested for their glycemic index properties by an accredited laboratory according to the ISO standards.
© ®™ The University of Sydney, Australia
1 December 2017
GI News - December 2017
GI News is published by the University of Sydney, School of Life and Environmental Sciences and the Charles Perkins Centre
Publisher: Professor Jennie Brand-Miller, AM, PhD, FAIFST, FNSA
Editor: Philippa Sandall
Scientific Editor/Managing Editor: Alan Barclay, PhD
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT
EYE PROTECTION
Back
in July GI News we focused on our eyes because protecting our eyesight
is one of the most important things we can do for the quality and
enjoyment of life. Evidence to date says the ayes have it for a good
diet with plenty of veg (good carbs and leafy greens) rich in lutein and
zeaxanthin.” We recently came across some kids’ lutein and zeaxanthin
supplements that claim to “guard” or “shield” their young eyes from
harmful blue light. We asked ophthalmologist Dr Shanel Sharma
to tell us about blue light, whether such a supplement could guard
kids’ eyes from it, and what tips she has for parents to protect their
kids’ eyes to ensure their enjoyment of life.
Blue light refers to the light at the blue end of the
visible spectrum. Most of the blue light that enters our eyes comes from
the sun and the blue light we absorb from digital devices is very low
in comparison to that. That said, it is worth noting that there is no
evidence to date to suggest that blue light is harmful to human eyes.
Despite this, parents are often made to feel guilty that their child is
exposed to blue light from the digital devices that have now become a
part of everyday life.
What about the blue light
science? Retinal surgeon Dr Daniel Polya reports: “There is some
evidence that taking a plate of rodent retinal cells in a lab and
exposing them to high intensity blue light can cause damage to those
cells. However, the doses of light in this study are not reflective of
real life situations, and thus the clinical relevance of these studies
has to be questioned.”
What this shows is that while it
is possible to create artificially a situation in which high intensity
blue light can cause damage to exposed retina cells, this doesn’t
reflect the real world. For example, the intensity of the blue light
used in these experiments is much higher than we would be exposed to in
real life, regardless of how long a person is exposed to digital
devices. Therefore, using this type of experiment to “prove” the need
for blue light protection is misleading.
In terms of
taking supplements such as lutein and zeaxanthin to protect our eyes,
the truth is that our bodies are very well equipped to absorb these from
our food, and in fact over supplementing might have a negative effect.
Associate Prof Wilson Heriot from Melbourne University says: “Eating a
healthy diet, which includes green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, carrots,
capsicum and oranges is all we need for a natural source of these
vitamins. Our body is extremely efficient at absorbing lutein and
zeaxanthin from the gut. Flooding the gut with alternatives such as
carrots or beta-carotene supplements decrease the efficiency of lutein
and zeaxanthin uptake.”
As an ophthalmologist, I have particular concern
regarding supplements that include beta-carotene in the formula as
scientific evidence demonstrates that beta-carotene is associated with
an increased incidence of lung cancer in smokers. I would be concerned
about children being given beta-carotene, particularly those exposed to
second hand smoke. In particular, I would not recommend taking vitamins
for which there is no evidence from randomised controlled trials, as the
possible toxicities of any particular combination of supplements in
children is unknown at this stage.
Parents should feel
comfortable allowing their children to spend some time on devices,
particularly as so much homework is now on computers. However, it is
important that the use of devices is limited, and children are
encouraged to play outside.
While blue light has not
been shown to damage eyes, it has been shown to affect sleep patterns.
Also, time spent playing outside can help children in keeping fit and
absorbing important vitamins from the sun. I would stress that it is
much more important to protect children’s eyes from UV sunlight damage
than to be concerned about the low intensity blue light from digital
devices because there is a lot of evidence that UV sunlight damages the
eye and surrounding structures. “Studies show that UV damage to eyes
occurs in childhood and is linked to eye disease later in life,
including cataracts, pterygium, solar keratopathy, and skin cancer of
the eyelids and around the eyes” says Dr Alina Zeldovich, eye surgeon
and clinical lecturer at Sydney University.
Ophthalmologists
have seen a sharp increase in the number of children presenting with
eye damage caused by UV exposure (most of that damage occurs before 18
years of age). This is not surprising because UV levels have increased
dramatically over recent decades. “The level of eye protection needed
now is much greater than it was in the past, and so parents and schools
need to be even more vigilant in ensuring that children’s eyes are
protected. Children should wear suitable hats and sunglasses whenever
they are outdoors” says Zeldovich.
How can you protect
your children’s eyes? Ophthalmologists recommend you ensure they wear
broad brimmed hats, sunblock and sunglasses that are rated Category 3 of
the Australian Standards for UV protection when outdoors.
The sunglasses should have:
- A wraparound frame, designed to minimise unfiltered side light entering the eye
- Polarised lenses with UV 400 protection, and
- Lens coatings to block reflected light from entering the eye.
WHAT’S NEW?
NUTS TO YOU
At
the start of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, the every-resourceful
alien Ford Prefect buys six pints of beer, ostensibly as a relaxant, as
the world is about to end … To his beers Ford Prefect also added
several packets of salted peanuts from the bar. Most bars have nuts.
Some are also edible. But their true purpose remains shrouded in
mystery.
Eating small, protein-rich snacks (like nuts)
before take-off in an aeroplane can reduce motion sickness. This may be
because protein, more than any other nutrient, triggers regular, slow
and smooth stomach contractions. These keep it busy and act to suppress
rapid convulsive contractions associated with feeling sick, and
ultimately vomiting. At the same time, when we eat, stomach emptying is
slowed down due to the presence of food, meaning the rate at which
alcohol levels rise is also slower. So it takes slightly longer (and
more alcohol purchases) to get drunk when we are eating nuts.
Adding
to the conspiracy theory, some argue that the addictively salty nuts
are only there to make us thirsty, so we’ll have to buy more drinks. But
this is not true. Pound for pound salty nuts don’t make us drink more
than if we ate unsalted ones. Actually, the conspiracy works in reverse.
It seems alcohol promotes snacking. It is no coincidence that most nuts
and pretzels are displayed at just an arm’s length behind the bar.
Given the plenty of calories in most beverages we shouldn’t be hungry or
need to eat. But with a little disinhibiting alcohol on board, we can’t
help ourselves.
This is an edited extract from Prof Merlin Thomas’s The Longevity List – Myth Busting the Top Ways to Live a Long and Healthy Life available from www.exislepublishing.com.
Thomas is a physician, scientist and author who uses the cutting-edge
science and research to help people live better, longer and healthier
lives. He has been featured in many of the world’s leading medical
journals, and is the author of Understanding Type 2 Diabetes, and Fast
Living, Slow Ageing.
PEANUT ALLERGY PATCH TRIAL SHOWS PROMISE
People
allergic to peanuts might soon be able to breathe easier, as peanut
patches designed to help those with allergies to become less sensitive
have shown promise in a recent US clinical trial. The patch provides
continual exposure to controlled amounts of peanut proteins and doesn't
pose the risk of triggering the allergy that actually eating peanuts
would. The trial used patches with low, intermediate and high doses of
peanut protein; compared to the placebo, those given the high dose patch
reacted less when given real peanuts to eat.
Study
NEW HIGH PROTEIN, LOW FAT, LOW GI ICE-CREAM
Ice-cream is usually considered a treat. But it’s worth remembering it’s a useful source of bone-building calcium plus the protein and vital vitamins found in milk. The GI of regular ice cream (37–49) is generally a little higher than milk or yoghurt because of the added sugar.
ProYo have recently launched a better-for-you, low-fat ice-cream that’s higher in protein than regular ice-cream and has a lower GI (25–39, depending on the flavour). What’s in it? According to the ingredient list for vanilla: “Skim Milk, Whole Milk, Whey Protein Concentrate, Xylitol (Natural Sweetener), Cane Sugar, Inulin, Natural Flavors, Ground Vanilla Beans”. Before you ask … inulin is a fructan, a type of soluble dietary fiber found in agave, artichokes, asparagus, bananas, carrots, chicory root, garlic, Jerusalem artichokes, jicama, leeks, onions, wheat, and yacon. The food industry’s main sources are chicory root and Jerusalem artichoke. Xylitol is a polyol (sugar alcohol) that may be good for your teeth.
We asked two dietitians to comment. “What a great product this is for nursing homes where the frail elderly need palatable foods they enjoy eating that will give them the calories, protein and calcium they need and that are easy to swallow,” says dietitian Nicole Senior.
“ProYo delivers balanced nutrition and real ice cream flavor and texture,” says registered dietitian Carrie Gabriel who makes the point it’s also versatile. “You can put a 4oz (115g) scoop in your morning smoothie to get 10g of protein; use it instead of milk to make baked goods; or enjoy a scoop as a delectable dessert,” she says.
PERSPECTIVES WITH DR ALAN BARCLAY
NUTS ABOUT CALORIES?
Despite
the excited claims of the latest fad diet, the proportion of
carbohydrate, fat and protein in your diet really doesn’t make much
difference when it comes to weight loss. Research has
repeatedly demonstrated that provided “the diet” provides less energy
(Calories/kilojoules) than what you were consuming before, you will lose
weight. This is the simple reason why most fad diets work in the
short-term. You are eating less.
To help us to keep an eye on our total energy
consumption, the energy content of most commonly eaten foods and drinks
is now readily available on food packages, restaurant menu boards, in
books, apps and government databases.
However, have you ever stopped to think how they calculate (estimate) the Calories/kilojoules in a food or drink?
Over
100 years ago, in the USA, carbohydrates, fats, proteins and alcohol
were obtained from a wide range of commonly eaten foods and burnt in
what is known as a bomb calorimeter to see how much they heated up a
fixed volume of water. A Calorie is the amount of energy that is
required to raise 1 gram of water one degree Celsius at normal (one
atmosphere) pressure. Because a gram is a relatively small amount, we
typically use 1000 grams of water and correspondingly the kilocalorie,
or Calorie with a capital C. The average Calorie values for the
macronutrients are:
- Carbohydrates (available) - 4 Calories / 17 kJ per gram
- Fats - 9 Calories / 37 kJ per gram
- Proteins - 4 Calories / 17 kJ per gram
- Fibres - 2 Calories / 8 kJ per gram
- Alcohol - 7 Calories / 29 kJ per gram
While the method is considered the best currently available, it may not be so accurate for individual foods however. Almonds are a good example. A recent small study fed 18 healthy adults either 9, 42 or 84 grams of almonds a day for 9 days, and collected all urine and feces from all participants. Based on this, the researchers estimated that the average energy content of almonds was 4.6 Calories (19 kilojoules) per gram. Using the bomb calorimeter method, almonds are estimated to contain 6.05 Calories (25 kilojoules) per gram – a 32% difference.
When you think about how well an average person is able to chew nuts like almonds, this may not come as a big surprise. If you ate a teaspoon of almond paste that had been prepared in a steel-bladed food processor, you would probably obtain the full 6.05 Calories per gram, but masticating a handful of nuts in our mouth is not as efficient – we don’t all have perfect dentition, salivary flow and chew each mouthful 30 times before swallowing!
So while we may need to take the Calorie/kilojoule content of whole almonds with a grain of proverbial salt, we should keep in mind that overall, Calorie counting is sufficiently accurate for the planning of weight reduction diets.
Alan Barclay, PhD is a consultant dietitian. He worked for Diabetes Australia (NSW) from 1998–2014 . He is author/co-author of more than 30 scientific publications, and author/co-author of The good Carbs Cookbook (Murdoch Books), Reversing Diabetes (Murdoch Books), The Low GI Diet: Managing Type 2 Diabetes (Hachette Australia) and The Ultimate Guide to Sugars and Sweeteners (The Experiment, New York).
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