XTEND-15sec-NEWSt
22nd April 2005
Please click on the summary link of interest:
US Government releases updated Food Pyramid...n1
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued a new symbol and interactive food guidance system. The "MyPyramid" graphic which replaces the current Food Guide Pyramid is part of an overall system that emphasizes the need for a more individualized approach to improving diet and lifestyle. The new pyramid factors in the recommendations of the '2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans', which was released in January this year.
The new guidelines which can be found at http://www.MyPyramid.gov conveys how proper dietary habits can promote health and reduce the risk of major chronic diseases for people two years of age and older.
Warren Matthews comments: The new pyramid is certainly a significant step forward and a vast improvement on the previous one which was introduced in 1992. Interestingly, the 'flaws' were well known back in 1992 when the 'old' pyramid was introduced. However, modifications were made to appease the powerful lobby groups of the food manufacturers.
There are still indications of the 'lobby' influence in the new pyramid, but not so much. One, important point that should be included but never will because of 'lobbying' is this. IF IT COMES IN A PACKET…DON'T EAT IT!! This is because the foods in packets with rare exceptions are highly processed, have little or no nutritional value and contain dangerous additives and colorants.
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Green Tea may curb Prostate Cancer in men at risk...n2
Compounds found in green tea may prevent the development of prostate cancer in men with a pre-cancerous condition called high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN), researchers have shown.
"The sad truth is that close to 30,000 men will die from prostate cancer in the United States every year and, at present, prevention is the best way to fight it, Dr. Saverio Bettuzzi from the University of Parma in Italy told Reuters Health. For the rest of Reuters article please click here.
Warren Matthews comments: No surprises here. However, please bear in mind that all green tea is not the same even if it is in an extract form! The active ingredient identified in this study is catechins. The percentage of catechins in green tea extract can range from 20 - 80%. We only use the 80% version. As a matter of fact we are soon going to be putting more detail on our labels that will identify the amount of the specific active in the extract that we are using.
Although catechins is an important ingredient in the prevention of prostate cancer, it is only one! There are a number of others that are also as effective or even more so and which work in synergy with the catechins to improve their efficacy further. We use many of them in Total Balance in conjunction with a sophisticated delivery system to ensure the maximum possible protection.
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Baby Formula linked with Obesity...n3
What you feed a newborn baby during the first week of life could be critical in deciding whether that baby grows up to be obese, US researchers said.
They found that formula-fed babies who gained weight rapidly during their first week of life were significantly more likely to be overweight decades later.
For the rest of this Reuters article please click here.
Warren Matthews comments: This is only part of the story of the dangers of using baby formulas. I am sure that over coming years there will be all sorts of information revealed on how the use of baby formula instead of good healthy breast milk has contributed to a whole host of health problems in the child in later years.
If you are an expectant mother... please breast feed your baby at least for the first couple of months. It is the ONLY way you can be sure of giving your child a good healthy start in life. If you are pregnant take particular care in what you eat as that will have a direct impact also on your baby's health. Don't forget to take a quality Omega 3 high in DHA during this period to ensure that your child's brain gets off to a good start.
In that regard don't forget that we have the best Omega 3 on the world market today. It's the highest in DHA and ultra pure.
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Important notice: All material provided within XTEND-15sec-NEWS is for informational and educational purposes only, and is not to be construed as medical advice or instruction. No action should be taken solely on the contents of this publication. Consult your physician or a qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health and wellbeing or on any opinions expressed within this newsletter. The information provided in this newsletter is believed to be accurate based on the best judgment of the editor but the reader is responsible for consulting with their own health professional on any matters raised within.
Green Tea May Curb Prostate Cancer in Men at Risk (Full Article)f1
Tue Apr 19, 2005 04:13 PM ET
ANAHEIM, California (Reuters Health) - Compounds found in green tea may prevent the development of prostate cancer in men with a pre-cancerous condition called high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN), researchers have shown.
"The sad truth is that close to 30,000 men will die from prostate cancer in the United States every year and, at present, prevention is the best way to fight it, Dr. Saverio Bettuzzi from the University of Parma in Italy told Reuters Health.
High-grade PIN progresses to invasive prostate cancer within a year in about 30 percent of men and no treatment is given to these men with high-grade PIN until prostate cancer is diagnosed.
Green tea catechins (GTCs) may be the answer, Bettuzzi said at the gathering of the American Association for Cancer Research here.
The investigator performed a trial involving men with high-grade PIN, who were given an inactive placebo preparation or one containing 600 milligrams of GTCs daily, "equivalent to 12-15 cups of green tea infusion, that is about two times the average intake in Asian countries."
Bettuzzi reported that, after a year, only 1 man among 32 in the GTC group developed prostate cancer, a rate of only 3 percent. In contrast, 9 out of 30 men treated with placebo developed prostate cancer, for the expected rate of 30 percent.
"To our knowledge, this is the first study showing that GTCs have potent in vivo chemoprevention activity for human prostate cancer," Bettuzzi noted.
"The interest in GTCs and other polyphenols -- antioxidants found in many plants -- derives from traditional Chinese medicine, but the Mediterranean diet is very rich in vegetables, thus providing high levels of polyphenols, and lower rates of prostate cancer are found in that region as well," he pointed out.
"There are other studies strongly suggesting that similar results could be obtained for prevention of other types of cancer. As a matter of fact, breast and colon cancer are possible targets. In the near future, we are supposed to start a collaborative trial involving both Italy and USA on this matter," Bettuzzi concluded.
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Baby Formula Linked With Obesity (Full Article)f2
Reuters
What you feed a newborn baby during the first week of life could be critical in deciding whether that baby grows up to be obese, US researchers said.
They found that formula-fed babies who gained weight rapidly during their first week of life were significantly more likely to be overweight decades later.
"It suggests that there may be a critical period in that first week during which the body's physiology may be programmed to develop chronic disease throughout life," said Dr Nicolas Stettler, a pediatric nutrition specialist at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
"Our findings also point toward new potential targets for preventing obesity," he added. "If these results are confirmed by other studies, they may lead to interventions in newborns to help prevent long-term development of obesity."
Stettler's team studied 653 white adults aged 20 to 32.
Writing in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, they said each additional 100 grams of weight gained during the first eight days of life increased a baby's risk of becoming an overweight adult by about 10 percent.
The study also helps reinforce recommendations that mothers breast-feed their babies.
"For a variety of health reasons, the American Association of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breast-feeding during a baby's first six months of life," Stettler said. Breast-fed babies are less likely to be overweight.
In a special issue on obesity, the Heart Association said childhood obesity is such a critical public health problem that it could reverse the gains made over the last 50 years in reducing heart disease and death.
An estimated 16 percent of US children are overweight and carry a significant risk of developing heart disease and diabetes while young adults.
"Only 64 percent of mothers initiate breast feeding, and only 29 percent of babies are still being breast fed when they are six months of age. Rates of initiation and duration are even lower among African-American women," said Dr Stephen Daniels of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.
The Heart Association published a statement calling for a multi-pronged approach to preventing childhood obesity involving families, the health care system, private insurers, government agencies, schools and the food and entertainment industries.
"If you think about all the environmental factors that have contributed to excess weight gain, then prevention has to take an across-the-board approach that doesn't just happen in the physician's office," Daniels said.
All children should have weight, height and body mass index - used to calculate obesity - tracked each year, the Heart Association recommended.
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