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Beyond weight loss: a review of the therapeutic uses of very-low-carbohydrate (ketogenic) diets

A Paoli, A Rubini, J S Volek and K A Grimaldi
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Wed, 26 Jun 2013 07:21 UTC
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Figure 1
Abstract

Very-low-carbohydrate diets or ketogenic diets have been in use since the 1920s as a therapy for epilepsy and can, in some cases, completely remove the need for medication. From the 1960s onwards they have become widely known as one of the most common methods for obesity treatment. Recent work over the last decade or so has provided evidence of the therapeutic potential of ketogenic diets in many pathological conditions, such as diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome, acne, neurological diseases, cancer and the amelioration of respiratory and cardiovascular disease risk factors. The possibility that modifying food intake can be useful for reducing or eliminating pharmaceutical methods of treatment, which are often lifelong with significant side effects, calls for serious investigation. This review revisits the meaning of physiological ketosis in the light of this evidence and considers possible mechanisms for the therapeutic actions of the ketogenic diet on different diseases. The present review also questions whether there are still some preconceived ideas about ketogenic diets, which may be presenting unnecessary barriers to their use as therapeutic tools in the physician's hand.

Keywords: ketogenic diet; cancer; diabetes; neurological diseases; obesity; cardiovascular diseases

Comment: We encourage the reader to check the entire paper at the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2013) 67, 789 - 796. (full text available)

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'Ubiquitous' food industry influence in determining food additive safety

Andrea Germanos
Common Dreams
Thu, 08 Aug 2013 23:42 UTC
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© foodidentitytheft.com
In another sign of undue corporate influence, a new study has found widespread conflicts of interest by the people deciding whether food additives are determined to be "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) over the past 15 years.

The study was published on Wednesday in JAMA Internal Medicine.

The team of researchers looked at 451 voluntary notices manufacturers sent the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) between 1997 and 2012 that vouch for the safety of a specific additive, such as caffeine or a sweetener. A GRAS determination means that there is "a reasonable certainty in the minds of competent scientists that the substance is not harmful under the intended conditions of use."

In none of those cases was the safety assessment made by an outside panel, the researchers report; rather, "financial conflicts of interest were ubiquitous in determinations that an additive to food was GRAS."

The researchers write that
22.4% of the safety assessments were made by an employee of an additive manufacturer, 13.3% by an employee of a consulting firm selected by the manufacturer, and 64.3% by an expert panel selected by either a consulting firm or the manufacturer.
"If the company makes the decisions or picks the people, there are a lot of possibilities for undue influence," said Thomas Neltner, lead author and director of Pew's food additives project.
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Coffee

Chocolate may improve blood flow to the brain


Science Daily
Wed, 07 Aug 2013 00:00 UTC
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© tananddda / Fotolia
Drinking two cups of hot chocolate a day may help older people keep their brains healthy and their thinking skills sharp.
Drinking two cups of hot chocolate a day may help older people keep their brains healthy and their thinking skills sharp, according to a study published in the August 7, 2013, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

The study involved 60 people with an average age of 73 who did not have dementia. The participants drank two cups of hot cocoa per day for 30 days and did not consume any other chocolate during the study. They were given tests of memory and thinking skills. They also had ultrasounds tests to measure the amount of blood flow to the brain during the tests.

Comment: Chocolate has been shown to have many benefits, however it's best to consume it with little sugar or many of the benefits may be undone:
146 reasons why sugar destroys your health
Remember the Dangers of Refined Sugar
Study: Chocolate lowers blood pressure
New Evidence That Chocolate Lowers Stroke Risk

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Magic Wand

Oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage and neurodegenerative diseases

Meng Zhao
Neural Regeneration Research
Wed, 07 Aug 2013 17:03 UTC
Oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage have been implicated in the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Oxidative stress is characterized by the overproduction of reactive oxygen species, which can induce mitochondrial DNA mutations, damage the mitochondrial respiratory chain, alter membrane permeability, and influence Ca2+ homeostasis and mitochondrial defense systems. All these changes are implicated in the development of these neurodegenerative diseases, mediating or amplifying neuronal dysfunction and triggering neurodegeneration. A recent article published in the Neural Regeneration Research (Vol. 8, No. 21, 2013), entitled "Oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage and neurodegenerative diseases", summarizes the contribution of oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage to the onset of neurodegenerative diseases and discusses strategies to modify mitochondrial dysfunction that may be attractive therapeutic interventions for the treatment of various neurodegenerative diseases.
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Candle

Red night light better for blue mood


HealthDay News
Thu, 08 Aug 2013 05:40 UTC
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The color of your night light may make a big difference in your mood, research conducted in hamsters suggests.

The study found that hamsters exposed to blue or white light at night had more depressive-like symptoms and depression-related changes in the brain than those that were exposed to red light.

The only hamsters that did better than those exposed to red light were those that had total darkness at night, according to the study in the Aug. 7 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.

Although results obtained in animal studies are not always replicated in humans, the results may prove important for people, particularly those whose work on the night shift makes them susceptible to mood disorders, said study co-author Randy Nelson, a professor of neuroscience and psychology at Ohio State University.

"Our findings suggest that if we could use red light when appropriate for night-shift workers, it may not have some of the negative effects on their health that white light does," Nelson said in a university news release.

Comment: For more information see:

'White' Light Suppresses the Body's Production of Melatonin
Why Too Much Bright Light Before Bed Harms Sleep
The importance of sleeping in total darkness: Sleeping with lights on can spur cancer
Aging Eyes Linked to Sleepless Nights, New Study Shows

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Life Preserver

Vitamin C and polio

Andrew W. Saul
Orthomolecular Medicine News Service
Thu, 08 Aug 2013 04:25 UTC
"Vitamin C can truthfully be designated as the antitoxic and antiviral vitamin." (C.W. Jungeblut, MD)

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The polio virus, which causes poliomyelitis.
As if the Cuban missile crisis wasn't enough, I had even more to be worried about as a child at the turn of the 1960's. When all of us in first grade had been told that we were to be vaccinated against polio, I for one didn't want to go near the school on that day. Regardless of my fear of needles, I had no choice in the matter. So, like all the rest of the kids, I braced up, got in line, and marched down the tiled hallway to meet my fate. When I got to the school nurse's office, I was astounded to be handed a lump of sugar with a drop of something soaking into it. I was told to eat it. I did. Then I was told I could go. Escape without a shot? What a fantastic turn of events! Life could begin anew.

In time, my classmates and I would all learn the name of our painless benefactor, Dr. Albert Sabin. With more time, I would find that his live oral vaccine had become the leading cause of polio in the US. What surprised me most was that the strongest criticism originated from the most eminent of sources: the other polio hero, Dr. Jonas Salk. On September 24, 1976, the Washington Post reported Dr. Salk's assertion that the Sabin live oral virus vaccine had been the "principal if not sole cause" of every reported polio case in the United States since 1961. (1) Salk repeated this accusation July 6, 1977, when he was interviewed on CBC television (2), saying: "(W)e have known now since 1961 in the United States, and prior to that in other countries, that the live virus vaccine for polio does cause the disease itself."
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2 + 2 = 4

Some anti-paleo arguments you might encounter and how to refute them


Paleohacks Blog
Tue, 06 Aug 2013 10:51 UTC
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One of the most popular threads was started by Morgan, who asked, "What are the smartest anti-paleo arguments? And our responses to them?"

Her question got 39 responses and 8000 views! The most popular answer was from Paleo_Rob, with the question or possible argument against Paleo being: "Is the paleo diet sustainable on a global scale?"

There are many other questions you may face. They may have to do with nutrition, such as "But the Food Guide says to eat grains, how can you ignore that?"

Yet another anti-Paleo argument is the fact that there are cultures which subsist on large amounts of grains or soy, yet enjoy extremely long lives.

Comment: For additional information on how to refute anti paleo arguments read the following articles:

The paleo diet explained
Have you heard about the Paleo diet?
Paleo Diet: Smart Eating or Latest Fad?
The Paleo Diet and Politics
A Real Paleo Diet - Grassfed Meat, Fat, and Organ Meats
The Paleo Diet: Should You Eat Like a "Caveman"?
Paleo Diet Works: High Fat Diet reverses the Overloaded,Under-fuelled Condition - A case study
New fad diet? 1960s research papers on benefits of eating Paleo rediscovered

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Life Preserver

Boy recovers from autism by removing dairy & gluten. Strong evidence links vaccines to autism

Joe Martino
Collective Evolution
Sun, 30 Jun 2013 07:31 UTC
Global autism rates are on the rise and many are beginning to ask questions about how they can best treat or remedy symptoms to increase quality of life overall. In one particular case, a young boy by the name of Ethan Fox began showing strong signs of Autism recovery when his diet was changed to no longer include gluten and dairy. The parents of Ethan acted on the advice of Dr. Kenneth Bock who is an autism specialist and author of 'Healing The New Childhood Epidemics. Autism, ADHD, Asthma and Allergies.' It is believed that changing an autistic child's diet to no longer include gluten and dairy can assist 60% of children with autism.

The video below covers the story in detail so be sure to check it out for more information on this specific case.

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Attention

146 reasons why sugar destroys your health

Nancy Appleton PhD
WakeUpWorld
Mon, 25 Jun 2012 07:23 UTC
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Dr. Nancy Appleton has told this story many times, but she is a sugarholic. Years of sneaking sugary snacks only to work it off on the tennis courts led to sickness and allergy as her constant companions. Despite everything the doctors tried she didn’t get better, until…she asked the question, “What am I doing to make myself sick?”
Excerpted from Suicide by Sugar.

1. Sugar can suppress the immune system.
2. Sugar upsets the mineral relationships in the body.
3. Sugar can cause hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children.
4. Sugar can produce a significant rise in triglycerides.
5. Sugar contributes to the reduction in defense against bacterial infection (infectious diseases).
6. Sugar causes a loss of tissue elasticity and function, the more sugar you eat the more elasticity and function you lose.
7. Sugar reduces high-density lipoproteins.
8. Sugar leads to chromium deficiency.
9. Sugar leads to cancer of the ovaries.
10. Sugar can increase fasting levels of glucose.
11. Sugar causes copper deficiency.
12. Sugar interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.
13. Sugar may make eyes more vulnerable to age-related macular degeneration.
14. Sugar raises the level of a neurotransmitters: dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine.
15. Sugar can cause hypoglycemia.
16. Sugar can produce an acidic digestive tract.
17. Sugar can cause a rapid rise of adrenaline levels in children.
18. Sugar malabsorption is frequent in patients with functional bowel disease.
19. Sugar can cause premature aging.
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Health

Some blood pressure drugs may raise breast cancer risk

Bahar Gholipour
LiveScience
Mon, 05 Aug 2013 14:29 UTC
Blood Pressure
© Workmans Photos/Shutterstock
Taking one type of high blood pressure medication might increase women's risk of breast cancer, a new study suggests.

The researchers found women in the study who had been taking calcium-channel blockers to treat high blood pressure for more than 10 years were 2.5 times more likely to have breast cancer, compared with women who did not use blood pressure medication, or who used other types.

"While the results are intriguing, we really need to wait until we see confirmatory studies before we make any kind of recommendations," said study researcher Dr. Christopher Li, an epidemiologist and breast cancer researcher at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.

"People should absolutely not stop taking their medication," Li said.

About 1,900 women with breast cancer participated in the study, as well as about 850 women with no cancer who served as the control group. The researchers didn't find a link between an increased breast cancer risk and other types of high blood pressure medications, such as beta-blockers ordiuretics, according to the study published today (August 5) in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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