By Rachel Zelkowitz
ScienceNOW Daily News
27 January 2009

Did Grandma seem forgetful at the holiday parties last month? It could be time to put her on a diet. Sharply reducing calories improves memory in older adults, according to one of the first studies of dietary restriction and cognitive function in humans.

Research on the benefits of an extremely low-calorie diet stretches back to the 1930s, when scientists found that rats lived up to twice as long when they nibbled less than control animals. Since then, some studies with rodents and nonhuman primates have shown that this spare diet, known as calorie restriction, improves some markers of diabetes and heart disease, such as blood glucose and triglyceride levels, and possibly prevents neurological declines similar to those seen with Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. In humans, however, the results have been mixed. Subjects on low-calorie diets generally have lower blood pressure and blood sugar levels than their chow-happy counterparts. But these studies were small, and none was designed to test how calorie restriction might affect cognitive performance.

To fill that void, neurologist Agnes Flöel and her colleagues at the University of Muenster in Germany recruited 50 healthy elderly subjects. The average volunteer was 60 years old and overweight, with a body mass index of 28. The researchers randomly assigned the volunteers to one of three groups. Twenty people were instructed to reduce their daily calorie intake by 30%, while still eating a balanced diet of nutrient-rich carbohydrates, fats, and lean proteins. Another 20 were told to keep their caloric intake the same but increase their consumption of unsaturated fatty acids, such as those found in salmon or olive oil. (Previous studies have linked a diet rich in these fats to improved cognition.) The remaining 10 volunteers did not change their diets.

After 3 months, all of the volunteers took a memory test in which they were shown 15 words and asked how many they could remember after 30 minutes. On average, those in the calorie-restriction group showed a 20% improvement over their baseline memory scores taken before they started their diets. Subjects in the other two groups showed little or no improvement, the researchers report online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "Our study only provides some of the first evidence on the impact of [calorie restriction] on memory in the elderly, but this study has to be followed up now," Flöel wrote in an e-mail to Science. Her team plans to conduct larger studies to determine exactly how calorie restriction enhances memory.

Neuroscientist Laura Dugan of University of California, San Diego, cautions that subjects in the study were overweight at the outset, so their memory improvement could have come from returning to a healthier body weight rather than from simple calorie restriction. Being overweight can cause sleep apnea, for example, which could interfere with cognitive function. But Giulio Pasinetti, a neuroscientist at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, praises the study as the first controlled test of calorie restriction and memory. "The most important message is that moderation in lifestyle--dietary lifestyle--is probably beneficial for our mental activities," he says.

by Melissa Martinelli, Atlanta Food Examiner


We all know there are no real magic foods. The road to optimum health is not in a pill or one magic food. But there are foods that pack such a nutritional wallop and possess such powerful health benefits, that they are referred to as "super foods".

This healthy food list consists of foods that are nutrient dense. That is, they have more nutrients per calorie than most other foods. They have also been proven to contain vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that prevent disease: from cancer to heart disease to arthritis, and many more.

These super foods are perfect for heart healthy, low fat cooking and most fit perfectly into a low carb lifestyle as well.

The 10 healthiest foods are foods that are so exceptionally good for us that we should include them in our healthy diet on a regular basis. Our list of super foods is arranged alphabetically, not in order of importance. Each is an amazing food, jam packed with health giving benefits.

The 10 Healthiest Foods to Eat

1. Berries
Berries are extremely rich in antioxidants which help protect the cells in our bodies from damage and therefore from diseases like cancer. Among other things they are also an excellent source of Vitamin C and soluble fiber. Blueberries might help reverse the short term memory loss that often comes with aging.

2. Broccoli
Broccoli (and other cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower and cabbage) helps fight cancer, especially breast, colon and lung. It boosts the immune system. Broccoli also contains antioxidants and a substance called sulforaphane, which research is showing to be a powerful cancer fighter and preventer.

3. Citrus Fruits
The citrus bioflavanoids in oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruit have anti-cancer and antioxidant properties.
Many of these citrus bioflavanoids have also been shown to have anti-inflammatory and blood clot inhibiting abilities.

4. Garlic
Numerous studies have shown that regular consumption of garlic can lower our blood pressure. It also prevents the blood from being overly sticky and decreases LDL cholesterol (the "bad" one) while increasing the good HDL cholesterol.

5. Nuts
Walnuts are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, a special type of fat that is essential for our bodies, but that the body cannot produce. Omega-3 essential fatty acids protect us against heart disease.

Almonds are also known for their ability to help lower LDL cholesterol levels.

6. Oats
Oats also help reduce cholesterol. Research shows that one bowl of oatmeal per day can reduce cholesterol by up to 23%. Oats are also considered an excellent grain for diabetics as they have less impact on blood sugar levels than some other grains.

7. Salmon
The Omega-3 fatty acids in salmon and other fatty fish may help prevent heart disease and stroke by lowering the body's rate of blood clotting.

8. Spinach
Spinach's secret weapon, lutein, makes it one of the best foods in the world to prevent cataracts, as well as age related macular degeneration, the leading cause of preventable blindness in the elderly.

9. Tomatoes
Tomatoes contain high levels of lycopene. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant and as such helps to protect the cells in our bodies from damage.

10. Turkey
Turkey is one of the leanest protein foods and is low in calories, making it an excellent healthy food choice. Turkey also contains selenium which has been shown to inhibit cancer development, improve the immune system, and aid in the metabolism of our thyroid hormone.

You can see that the top 10 healthiest foods, or "super foods", are also some of our favorites. By including these super foods in a healthy diet on a regular basis you can easily gain many health benefits.

Making healthy food choices just got easier.

R. CHINDOMU
S. CHIDZOMBA&
K. BHAGAT

Drink Up

Question:

A good friend is suffering from atypical
Parkinson’s - no more specific diagnosis yet:
Speech almost incomprehensible, weakness,
exhaustion, cramps, falls.

No tremor. Worsening very fast. She is 55
years old. She was on lithium for more than
25 years; Was weaned slowly and off completely
one week ago. Weaned off Depacote June 07.
Took other meds with lithium over the years
for bipolar swings.

She currently is off all meds except vitamin D
and some Bs. Randy Mentzer sounds like he might
have insight into whether and how drugs could
underlie, worsen or improve her condition. To
convince her to get a consult I need more
information about whether he has background
relevant to her specifics.

Please advise re Randy Mentzer or any other resource -
diagnostic or palliative - that might be useful.

Response:

My extensive experience in researching the
factors that produce the symptoms of Parkinsons
lead me to conclude that your friend’s quite
serious complications are caused by possible drug
interactions, drug depletions and/or toxicity.

Taking lithium for 25 years could have led to
chronic (or therapeutic) toxicity. The symptoms
of lithium poisoning are similar to those
that you describe. Drugs can remain in the
tissues of our body long after we stop
taking them.

As you state, she has also taken other medications
which might have exacerbated her symptoms. Thus,
there may be drug-drug interactions at play here.

Taking a medicine for a protracted period can
also induce mineral, vitamin and hormonal depletions.
So, on top of everything else, your friend may be
experiencing the effects of drug depletions.

For clients of ours with such problems, we always
refer them to Randy Menzer who does the research
necessary to figure out what might be causing the
symptoms. Some people give consultations by
talking off the top of their heads. Randy asks
a ton of questions, takes copious notes, researches
each person’s unique situation and prepares an
extensive report which you can take to your doctor
for review and further discussion. Every person’s
situation is unique and Randy treats it as such.

If this were me, I would get a consultation from
Randy. I strongly advise that your friend get a
drug consultation from someone who has expertise
in this area if they are not called to contact Randy.
Perhaps you can find a person in your area who has the
expertise to provide such a consultation.

I personally like Randy because he suggests ways
to address the problems that are created by
drug interactions. I have known him to spend
hours and hours doing research for a single
patient. I trust Randy and that is why I refer
people to him.

You can hear him talk about these issues here:

I also like the work of Dr. Ivy Faber. She uses
a diagnostic approach and then addresses the
problems that present themselves with
natural treatments that do not overwhelm the
capacity of the body to heal. You can check out
her information here:

http://www.parkinsonsrecovery.com/ivytest.html

In short, the symptoms that are presenting
themselves are clearly serious. They may also
be symptomatic of a drug withdrawal. Symptoms of
Parkinsons typically evolve much more slowly
than what you describe in your letter.

I hope my correspondence encourages your friend
to get a consultation with someone as soon as
possible who is knowledgeable about drug-drug
interactions, toxicity and drug depletions.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.

Nearly 80% of the population drinks coffee on a daily basis. There are 80-130 mg. of caffeine in just one cup of coffee. For many years the medical community has warned the public of the health risks to women from a simple cup of Java, yet there still is very little linking coffee to health problems except in a very few cases.

The fact of the matter remains; there is little proof that any risk to women exists from drinking coffee in moderate amounts. As a matter of fact, reports have even suggested that coffee even lessen the risks of some diseases in women, such as bladder cancer. It has gotten to the point that it is almost difficult to believe anything that we hear involving the health risks of coffee involving women anymore.

Why has coffee been getting a bad rap?
1. Well of all drinks containing caffeine, coffee has the highest amount, far more than soda.
2. Since pregnant women must be cautious when carrying an infant, doctors advise against caffeinated beverages still today, despite there being no evidence of health risks. This stems from antiquated ideas and data, though.

While the caffeine in coffee can be connected to raising blood pressure and is responsible for increasing the incidence of cardiovascular disease and even high cholesterol levels, there is no connection that coffee poses more of a risk to women who consumes it than women who don't drink it. Women are not exposed to a greater risk from caffeine or coffee than men are.

While some reports contended that coffee causes an increased risk of gallstones in patients who drink the beverage regularly, other research shows that there is no correlation. Just recently there was a report that said coffee drinkers have less gallstones.

Let's dispel some of those myths about coffee and the health risks associated with its consumption. For many of us women, obstetricians and gynecologists discouraged our consumption of coffee during our pregnancies. While this was probably merely a precaution, it is a bit alarming that they have absolutely no scientific reason to do so. Does this anger you?

It seems that sometimes we don't know which study to believe. New research of late has also revealed that coffee is actually beneficial to a person's health. For example, the diuretic effect of coffee has proved that it lessens the incidence of bladder cancer in smokers, and drinking coffee regularly is also reported to lessen the onset of Parkinson's disease. Much of what we hear in the media is hype over a study that had only 200 or 500 people in it. The best advice that anyone can believe is the trusted advice of their doctor.

Let's go in search of answers that many women have about coffee. Many answers to your questions are listed below in the coffee health FAQ.

1. How much coffee is safe?
Well that depends on the brand and type of coffee. Some of the new, popular cappuccino and espresso brands are loaded with caffeine, while some of the other, more traditional brands, offer lower caffeine content. As long as your doctor does not restrict caffeine, it is safe to consume caffeinated coffee in moderation. Individuals with high blood pressure

, heart disease, gall stones, high cholesterol, mental illness, drug interaction problems, or who are pregnant should not consume caffeinated coffee.

2. Does caffeine effect fertility?
Yes it can decrease a woman's chances of getting pregnant, but it is in no way unsafe to drink a moderate amount of coffee weekly or even daily. Even male coffee drinkers have a decrease in fertility.

3. Does drinking coffee contribute to or cause infertility and/or delayed conception?
No, there is no evidence of this.

4. Is it safe to drink coffee before conception?
Yes it is safe to consume coffee before trying to get pregnant, but as stated above, it can sometimes make it harder to conceive.

5. Does drinking coffee increase the chance of birth defects in your infant?
No, there is no evidence of this.

6. Does coffee consumption by pregnant women contribute to premature births?
No, there is no connection between birth defects and coffee consumption at this time. Some research has suggested this in the past, but it was never conclusive.

7. Does coffee make depression worse?
Yes it may. The medical community maintains that people with any psychiatric or emotional disorders should not have caffeine. For many years the mentally illness have been instructed not to consume any caffeine, and certainly not at high doses.

8. Does coffee cause cancer?
While there is no scientific proof that coffee and other drinks containing caffeine cause cancer of any kind, there is evidence that shows coffee actually helps to prevent bladder cancer. As briefly mentioned above, smokers who drink coffee daily have a much lower incidence of bladder cancer. This may be due to the fact that coffee drinkers urinate more frequently than non-coffee drinkers, so caffeine actually flushes out the bladder, which in turn lessens the smoker's risk of bladder cancer.

9. Does coffee help gallstones?
There is evidence that coffee can protect against gallstones.

10. Is osteoporosis caused or worsened by drinking coffee?
No. After extensive research, scientists agree that there is no link between cancer and osteoporosis. Even with extremely high doses of caffeine, this is not a factor.

11. Can coffee reduce the risk of Parkinson's Disease?
Yes, a recent study from the U.S.Department of Veterans Affairs in Honolulu states that parkinson's disease occurs less in people who drink caffeine on a regular basis. A Study of 8,000 men of Japanese ancestry were studied.102 of the men were diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

Men didn't drink coffee had a two to three times higher rate of Parkinson's disease than the coffee drinkers did. Although it was men used in the study, reports suggest that it is likely that women would also benefit from drinking coffee where Parkinson's disease is concerned.

So, what should we ladies do? Question your doctor if he/she restricts coffee and follow their advice, but stay current on health news. Learn to tell the difference between the hype and the facts. Being educated about our health will always make us women feel better in the long run.