Showing posts with label 3. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 3. Show all posts

Monday, March 16, 2015

Honest Nutrition Omega 3 fats depression and mood disorders


Here is a review:
Honest Nutrition: Omega-3 fats, depression and mood disorders
 by Neil Levin (http://honestnutrition.blogspot.com) of several research articles on the impact of omega-3 fish oils on mental disorders.  Most of the studies failed to control the omega-6 intake of the patients and thus the impact of the omega-3 oils would be expected to be minimized or confused by the uncontrolled nature of the experimental population.  The bottom line observed over and over again, is that even without controlling for the level of initial inflammation, omega-3 oils lower chronic inflammation and as a consequence disease symptoms are reduced -- many mental disorders are the symptoms of chronic inflammation.  This is reminiscent of Linus Pauling demonstrating that many mental disorders were symptoms of vitamin deficiencies.
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Omega 3 Fatty Acids Antioxidants and Cancer

It is hard to sort out the inflammatory effects of short/long-chain omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. Vegetable antioxidants make the picture even worse. The absolute, as well as relative amounts, of the various types of fatty acids make a difference. It also now appears that oxidation prior and during digestion may be important to the impact of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). The source (perhaps even the meal composition) of the PUFAs was as important as omega-3 versus omega-6, for common, short chain PUFAs.

In some studies, omega-3 PUFAs, such as the short-chain alpha linolenic acid (ALA) common in flax seed or the long-chain fish oil FUFAs, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), reduced cancer in human and mice. Earlier work in cell cultures showed that all of PUFAs suppressed the growth of cancer cells.

A large French study (reference below) began in 1993. Approximately 100,000 women between the ages of 40 and 65 volunteered to provide dietary and breast malignancy information and ca. 75,000 qualified for the study (the French component of EPIC, European Investigation of Cancer and Nutrition) . The dietary data provided information on the fatty acid composition of meals and revealed who was eating vegetable antioxidants and vitamins.

Major findings:
  • Neither omega-6 nor omega-3 fatty acids were related directly to breast cancer risk.
  • Long chain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) reduced breast cancer in the group of women with the highest consumption of omega-6 PUFAs.
  • High LA or ALA consumption in the form of vegetable oils or vegetables reduced cancer incidence.
  • High LA or ALA consumption in the form of processed foods or nuts was associated with a higher incidence of breast cancer.
  • Longer chain PUFAs were not associated with increased risk, regardless of source.

What does this mean?
  • The source of the PUFA is of paramount importance. This study may apply more specifically to cancers and less to other inflammation-based degenerative diseases. The general anti-inflammatory diet may need refinement. I would suggest the following additions:
  • Retain the preference for the more omega-3 friendly olive oil or perhaps flax oil versus the omega-6 rich vegetable oils (corn, soy, safflower), but focus on freshness and do not heat these oils.
  • The data seem to be in favor of saturated fats for cooking. That means a shift to coconut oil.
  • Vegetable antioxidants may be most important in the gut during digestion. Do these antioxidants even enter the blood stream? Certainly some alkaloids get to the brain, but much of the impact of the less mobile, large molecules may be restricted to the gut.
  • An extension of this discussion may be to encourage eating more leafy vegetables with meat. That may be the paleo-diet connection.
reference:
Thiébaut AC, Chajès V, Gerber M, Boutron-Ruault MC, Joulin V, Lenoir G, Berrino F, Riboli E, Bénichou J, Clavel-Chapelon F. 2009. Dietary intakes of omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and the risk of breast cancer. Int J Cancer. Feb 15;124(4):924-31.
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Saturday, March 14, 2015

Diet Potato 3 types of Potato Diet



This Diet Potato is not surprising that I did lose 1 pound a week (with some training). Do not judge. I do not starve myself and I take the diet because the potato was my favorite meats from young. Diet Potato ~
Hare sweet steamed potatoes daily for breakfast and lunch. The dinner, as always, but I do not usually eat rice. So I limit myself to two tablespoons of rice every night (if Im eating at home), verges and soup to fill my belly. My appetite is relatively low at the start, once a month, I get Diet Potato giant appetite. (The girls know what I mean). And one more thing, I drink losses of water per day. I carry a bottle of water with me when I shoot. Hah. Butcheries. I do this because I want to avoid sugary drinks / food as I do not only fat, but also those stupid aggravate acne.
potato for diet what to do !
The Indonesia orange Diet Potato taste better! Juicer and softer. If you intend to steam, avoid purple, yellow or orange in other countries. Indonesia rocks sweet! Please take time to read the article attached below if you want to lose weight!
I bought all kinds of sweet potatoes to try.

potato for diet
If you are looking for a Diet Potato, then let me tell you a secret. Did you know that sweet potatoes can help weight loss when used in conjunction with other foods?
It is a little known fact that potato for diet can effectively promote weight loss, and for two reasons. I must admit that when I read I do not think that could be true. Certainly there are a lot of calories contained in this type of Diet Potato, but thats not important. If you think calorie Diet Potato work, then you need to think again.
potato for diet how to !
Eating this type of vehicle has been found to control blood sugar, and also make your body more sensitive to your bodys natural insulin, this will help your weight loss. Sweet potatoes also contain a lot of vitamins and Diet Potato minerals, and are known by some as a super food. Not only can they help potato for diet you lose weight, but also help you build muscle, help fight colds and also contain high levels of beta-carotene, which has been found to reduce the risk of certain cancers.
So how Diet Potato helps you lose weight? The main reason I found eating this vegetable is the feeling I have after eating this super food, and a feeling of fullness throughout the day. I mentioned earlier about counting calories, potato for diet do not work, and that may be true for many people. If you find this type of Diet Potato does not work for you, then maybe its time to try something new.
Counting calories Diet Potato and eating salads can work for a small majority of people, but the large number of us do not want to use diet plans of this type. This is just the beginning of the sweet Diet Potato, and use it in combination with other recipes with this vegetable can facilitate weight loss in a huge amount.
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Wednesday, March 11, 2015

St Patricks Day Food Memories and Other Irish Inspired Food Im Thinking About on Tuesday 3 10 15

Every month has it's own most-eaten foods, but in March I'm thinking about cabbage and St. Patrick's Day food!


St. Patrick's Day is only a week away, and if you like the idea of cooking corned beef to celebrate on March 17, there's a great collection of Slow Cooker Corned Beef From Food Bloggers at my slow cooker site, including the delicious-looking Slow Cooker Corned Beef with Horseradish-Mustard Sauce (pictured above) from my friend Lydia.

My late father was partly Irish, and towards the end of his life I used to enjoy making an Irish-American dinner every year for St. Patrick's Day.  I say Irish-American, because for the most part the foods Americans eat on St. Patrick's Day aren't really Irish, did you know that?  But my dad certainly didn't care if the food was authentic, and he loved the corned beef dinners I'd make for him every year.

Not all my siblings love corned beef and other Irish-American foods the way my dad did, but this year it just so happens I'm going to have visiting family members in town on March 17, so I'm going to have a St. Patrick's dinner.  Of course I'll make my Corned Beef with Veggies and Horseradish Sauce, something I made every year for dad.
Now here are a few more Irish American Foods I'm thinking about this week . . . 

Click to continue reading
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Monday, March 9, 2015

3 Top Supplements for Radiation Detox

Supplementing any kind of diet or food lifestyle in this current age is an absolute must when it comes to eliminating radiation.  Raw foods can do a lot for the human physiology and more potent superfoods and supplements can also massively impact us to shift radiation from the cells.

I started awakening to raw in 2009 when I read the book Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnoin which was mainly about the positive aspects of becoming vegan.  I became vegan for a while but was still working out the whole diet thing which would suit me. I must say, I  most often will just pick things to suit my mood.  Thats no problem for me anyway as it is still always vegetarian and sometimes vegan.  Therefore, my health is pretty much awesome most of the time.

Supplementing any diet lifestyle can help the cells detox and anyone who doesnt supplement who is promoting vegan seriously needs to question why because organic is only one small strand in a whole bigger picture of health that needs to be addressed.

After various nuclear distasters worldwide, radiation is a massive issue.  It is everywhere, it covers everything and it needs to be cleaned up.  We cannot really see this radiation physically so we dont know the impact on the human unless it manifests itself physically.
We need to address the whole body not just feeding ourselves fruits and vegetables but thinking about the very cells that are absorbing everything from our environment including food.


3 Top Supplements for Radiation Detox

I have only just started experimenting with Iodine most recently and have still yet to experience great results, however I can comment that these 3 supplements are very powerful and need to be used with caution and great care.  I am no health expert, I just do my research and decide to do whats best for me.


Iodine



Ancient Purity - "Iodine is found in every organ of the body and is essential for humans. Almost all of us are low on iodine. Low iodine levels are linked to many health problems. Iodine is not only good for health, it’s vital. In 1880, a French physician named Jacques Lugol originated a solution which contains 5% of elemental Iodine in a 10% solution of Potassium Iodide. It has been used steadily ever since. Researchers are warning iodine deficiency could be becoming endemic in the UK "A study involving more than 700 teenage girls at 9 UK centers found more that two-thirds had a deficiency. Iodine deficiency is the most common cause of preventable mental impairment worldwide, affecting a third of the worlds population." 












iodine

Line breaks: iod¦ine
Pronunciation: /ˈʌɪədiːn
  
, -ʌɪn, -ɪn/










Definition of iodine in English:

NOUN

[MASS NOUN]
1The chemical element of atomic number 53, a non-metallic element forming black crystals and a violet vapour. (Symbol: I)
EXAMPLE SENTENCES
1.1A solution of iodine in alcohol, used as a mild antiseptic.
EXAMPLE SENTENCES
A member of the halogen group, iodine occurs chiefly as salts in seawater and brines. As aconstituent of thyroid hormones it is required in small amounts in the body, and deficiency canlead to goitre
LINK

Chlorella



The great thing about Chlorella is that it is widely available and easy to take.  It digests easily and makes you feel better instantaneously.  You can buy it in most health stores. 





Chlorella helps the body detox from heavy metals.












chlorella








Definition of chlorella in English:

NOUN

[MASS NOUN] BiologyA common single-celled green alga of both terrestrial and aquatic habitats, responsible for turning stagnant water an opaque green.
  • Genus Chlorella, division Chlorophyta (or phylum Chlorophyta, kingdom Protista)

EXAMPLE SENTENCESOrigin

modern Latin, diminutive of Greek khlōros green.
LINK



Bush Flower Essences Electro essence




"Electro Essence reduced radiation levels in children affected by the Chernobyl disaster by 43% in comparison with a control group who had only 3.5% reduction*." LINK

I have taken the Bush Flower Electro essence (at least two courses lasting two weeks in length).  I must say this essence has really helped me to wake up in the morning.  The essences are very subtle and work on a vibrational level, so you may be expecting some massive physical change, however, for me it has been subtle and more on a feeling level - more energy; feeling more at ease; feeling overall better in general.

We have probably all been subjected to some radiation directly - especially if you have had an x-ray for a broken bone, where the radiation is intensified.  This essence has really helped me to release this radiation - how do I know?  I feel more energetic in general.

Read more »

Sunday, March 8, 2015

Raw Crackers—A Great Source Of Omega 3


Crackers on a dehydrator sheet.


Transition Goal For Week Four: Getting Ready For A One Month “Raw Food Cleanse”
For the past 3 weeks, we have been adding more and more raw food into our diets in preparation for next months raw food cleanse. By gradually substituting raw meals and snacks for cooked and perhaps processed ones, we have gotten ourselves used to eating less toxic and more fiber rich foods. By doing this gradually, cleansing and detoxification reactions will be minimized. So for the remainder of this month, let’s get prepared for our ONE MONTH RAW.

You may ask why on earth we would go completely raw for an entire month. The answer is simple. It’s spring! You are cleaning your closets, weeding your yards, preparing your vegetable gardens, well, you get the point. This will be a month that you will relieve your body from expending energy on digestion as the enzymes in the raw food you eat will provide most of that function. That will allow your body to use that energy to heal and rebuild.

During The Month Cleanse, You May:
• Lose weight
• Have more energy
• Need less sleep
• Need fewer prescription drugs
• Have 2 or 3 bowel movements a day
• Have fewer allergies
• Feel more alive
• Improve one or more physical issues you may have
• Be more joyful

I’m not sure how you will react, but this is certainly my personal experience with doing a 100% raw cleanse and that’s how I continue to feel when I keep the level of raw food in my diet around 50 to 75%. So for the next week, in preparation for the ONE MONTH RAW, you may want to do the following:

• Sign up a few friends and family members to do this with you.
• Find a raw food potluck or meet up group in your area (try www.rawfoodmeetup.com or do a web search on “raw food potluck”.
• Buy a raw food cook book—just look on Amazon, there are many to choose from.
• Borrow or buy some raw food preparation tools like a Vita Mix or other high speed blender, a dehydrator, a juicer, sprouting jars, or a food processor.
• Plan out a menu listing breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes—many raw food meals take time and must be planned. Raw food crackers can take a whole day, and sprouts can take a few days, so you need to think ahead or you’ll be living on salads and smoothies (not so bad).
• List personal health goals that you want to achieve—for example, you may want to lose a few pounds, lower your cholesterol or stop taking allergy medication. Whatever it is, write it down.
• Check out a local raw food restaurant or find a good vegetarian restaurant that offers a number or raw food options.

If you are on meds or are undergoing chemotherapy, please discuss this cleanse with your doctor. Most allopathic doctors will just stare at you with a blank face, but give it a try. If nothing else, it may arouse their curiosity in healthy food—something they are definitely not exposed to in medical school. I asked my ophthalmologist this week if there was something I could eat or supplement with to help prevent cataracts. I had heard that bilberry, and certain carotenoids like lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin were beneficial. He responded by saying that the human body wasn’t meant to live this long. Once you’re 50 or 60, you’re just going to get things like this. I never ceased to be amazed at the idiocy of the medical profession. I told him that I planned to live to 100 and I don’t plan on having my body fall apart well before that time!

Today, I will give you a raw cracker recipe. I received good feedback on the raw corn chips I posted last week and I know that some of you are considering an investment in a dehydrator. So here is another recipe to entice you.

Raw crackers are a staple in any raw food diet. When you go completely raw, you tend to miss bread. Eating raw crackers seems to fill that urge. Also, when eating a salad or a raw soup, the crackers make the meal complete.

These raw crackers are very high in the essential fatty acids used by the body to build omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids. I can’t stress the importance of these nutrients enough. Omega 3 reduces inflammation and is very important for protection against cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and some cancers. Only 7 of these crackers will provide everything you need per day. (Read more about these nutrients at the end of this post titled, “If you don’t eat fish, read this”).

***

Raw Veggie-Seed Crackers [makes 85 crackers]
3/4 cup flax seeds
1/4 cup chia seeds (or you can omit and use 1 cup of flax seeds)
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds, soaked
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds, soaked
1 cup raw walnuts, soaked
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
1 large celery stalk, chopped
1 small zucchini, chopped
1 small red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
2 T minced red onion
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons of sea salt or 1 ½ tablespoons Nama Shoyu soy sauce (to taste)
Filtered water for soaking

Combine the pumpkin and sunflower seeds in a bowl, cover with water and soak for 6 hours or overnight. Put the walnuts in a separate bowl, cover with water and soak for 6 hours or overnight. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flax and chia seeds with 1 3/4 cups of filtered water. Stir vigorously and let sit for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally for the first half hour. Then let soak for 4 or more hours. This will turn into a gelatinous mass. You will not be rinsing these. After the soaking time, rinse the pumpkin and sunflower seeds in a strainer and place in the large bowl with the flax and chia seeds. Rinse the walnuts and place in the food processor with the carrot, celery, zucchini, bell pepper, onion, garlic, lemon juice, and salt (or Nama Shoyu). Blend until smooth but don’t over process. You still want to see flecks of the vegetables. Add this mixture to the large bowl and mix well. Drop the mixture by teaspoonfuls onto the drying sheets of the dehydrator. This recipe should make about 85 crackers. Dry in the dehydrator at 105 to 115 degrees for 8 hours, flip, remove the drying sheet and dry for another 8 hours or until crisp. Serve with dips, salads, soups, raw nut butters or by themselves.

Per cracker: 29 calories, 2.5 g fat, 1.1 g saturated fat, zero g cholesterol, 1 g protein, 1.4 g carbohydrates, .9 g fiber, .6 g Alpha-linolenic omega 3 fatty acid, 1 g omega 6 fatty acid.


Why Do Raw Food Recipes Often Call For Soaking Nuts And Seeds?
• Soaking removes their enzyme inhibitors, allowing them to begin germinating, increasing their vitality as well as their nutrient density.
• Soaking and rinsing reduces their phytic acid content which inhibits the absorption of important minerals.
• It also makes them more digestible.

If You Don’t Eat Fish, Please Read This
• There are 3 types of omega 3 fatty acids. Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentanenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). EPA and DHA are thought to be the most beneficial.
• Although many people get their requirements of EPA and DHA from fish or fish oil capsules, ALA omega 3 from sources like chia and flax seeds can be converted by the body into EPA and DHA.
• The Vegetarian Society recommends 4 g of ALA omega 3 fatty acids per day in order to ensure that the body produces adequate amounts of EPA and DHA.
• A proper balance of omega 6 to omega 3 is 4:1 or less. Most people eat a much higher ratio (almost 10:1) mostly because of the high use of corn and safflower oil.
• This high balance interferes with the conversion process in the body of ALA to the more beneficial EPA and DHA.
• These crackers have a less than 2:1 ratio. Seven crackers will provide the 4 g of ALA required to produce adequate amounts of EPA and DHA.
• You can also get 4 g of ALA from 1/2 tablespoon of flaxseed oil or a full tablespoon of ground flaxseed.
Read more »

Friday, March 6, 2015

Sesame Powered High Omega 6 Diet Boosts Endurance Performance in Rodents High Omega 3 Diet Sucks Intra Muscular Lipid Ratios Determine Exercise Performance

At least in rodents omega-6s appear to make abetter match with exercise than in human beings.
I actually referenced this study several times in the past. It came up in a Facebook conversation I had with Roy Nelson who pointed me to a press release telling me that (I quote) "Certain Fat Could Help Humans Lose Weight". Interestingly, the "certain fat" in this particular study is (brace yourselves) linolic acid, better known as "omega-6" (obviously a misnomer, since omega-6 is actually referring to a whole class of fatty acids).

In view of the fact that the corresponding study in which Rogowski et al. observed a significant correlation between the omega-6 fatty acid content in the muscle and mitochondrial uncoupling and fat oxidation. The problem with the study is however that it was conducted not just with mice, but with genetically modified mice.

The results of the said study by Rogoswki, Patin et al. may thus form the basis for further investigations, but should not be taken as "hard evidence" that a high intake of omega-6 fatty acids will have similar effects. The accumulation of linolic acid in the mouse muscles was after all a result of the genetic modification and not the consequence of high n-6 chow.

So whats the effect of dietary linolic acid, then?

Unlike Rogowski et al., Kerry J. Ayre and A.J. Hulbert from the University of Wollongong did not just use normal male Wistar rats as their test objects, they also did what the scientists from Texas Tech didnt do: They supplied their rodents with diets with different fatty acid profiles.
Table 1: If you have ever wondered about the "evolution" of the omega-3 vs. omega-6 ratio in our (=the human) diet, I suggest you take a closer look at the table to the right. According to this overview from a 2004 paper by Artemsis Simopoulus in Food Reviews International. As you will see, it has more than just reversed ever since the paleolithic era.
All diets contained the exact same macronutrient composition with 22%, 56% and 22% of the total energy being derived from fat, carbohydrates, and protein, respectively. The amount of essential fatty acids and their ratios in the 22% fat content of the diet did however differ significantly:
  • Irrespective of the fact that it sucks for rodent endurance, coconut oil could help you approach a flat tummy like the one above| learn more
    Coconut diet: Designed as (almost) "essentially fatty acid free", the coconut oil based diet had a saturated fatty acid / mono-unsaturated fatty acid / N-6 / N-3 ratio of 95:4:1:0
  • High N-6: Being based on sesame oil, the high N-6 diet had a SFA / MUFA / N-6 / N-3 ratio of 16:30:50:4 that translates to an N-3:N-6 Ratio of 0.08 (1:12.5); now that sounds crazily low, but the average Westerner consumes a diet with a N-3:N-6 ratio of 0.0625 (1:16; cf. Simpopoulos. 2004) in other words - that was not even "as bad" (?) as the Western diet
  • High N-3: By adding both sesame and a commercially available omega-3 supplement to the diet, the scientists hit a 21:25:35:16 ratio for SFA / MUFA / N-6 / N-3 - thats still far from "N-3 exclusive" but much more like what current expert advice tells us we should strive for, i.e. 1g of omega-3 for every 2g of omega-6
If we go by the contemporarily popular dietary paradigms, it should be obvious that the health of the rodents in the N-6 diet will take a beating. Against that background it is all the more surprising that it were the rodents in the high N-6 group that outdistanced their hairy competition in an endurance test at the end of the 9 week study period.
Figure 1: Fatty acid composition of the diets and corresponding endurance performance of male Wistar rats after 9-weeks on coconut, high n-6 and high n-3 diet (Ayre. 1997)
Whats more, its not as if the omega-6 mice had simply been running slower and were thus able to run for a longer time, they did also have higher workloads (=product of body mass, distance traveled, and percentage grade of the incline).

"So where is the connection to the new study from Texas Tech, then?"

If we look back at the initially mentioned results from the Texas Tech study, it appears logical to assume that the beneficial effects on the endurance capacity could be another downstream effects of an increased ability to oxidize dietary fats (which is basically what the Rogowski, Paton et al. argued). Compared to the minimal amount of blood glucose and the highly limited glycogen stores in the muscle and liver, the fat stores of mice (and man) do after all hold an almost inexhaustible amount of energy - they just have to be accessed.
Figure 2: Skeletal muscle fatty acid composition after 9 weeks (Ayre. 1997)
As you can see, in figure 2 the fatty acid composition of the skeletal muscle of the rodents in the Ayre study did reflect the fatty acid composition of the diets (remember: the changes in the Rogowski study occured on the same chow, simply due to a genetic mutation) and the significantly increased omega-6 content in the N-6 group mirrors the effect Rogowski et al. observed in response to their neat GMO tricks. It does therefore appear logical to assume that the rodents in the Ayre study experienced a similar upregulation of PPAR-delta (unfortunately back in the day scientists did not measure that). The latter would increase the oxidation of fatty acid and thus the energy availability during aerobic activity.

"Making the Right Fish Choices" is important for your healths, so I suggest you learn how in the same-titled SuppVersity article.
What should not go unmentioned is that the performance discrepancies were very long-lived. Even after 5 weeks on a regular diet, the rodents in the N-6 diet easily outperformed their coconut and omega-3 competition - probably because it takes months (in rodents and years in men) to restore a "normal" muscular fatty acid profile. Now this is an interesting thought, because it will eventually lead us to the hypothesis that the huge benefits we are currently seeing (at least in some individuals) from the consumption of supplemental omega-3 fatty acids would be a direct result of the their effect on a cellular fatty acid ratio that has been messed up over years!

In view of the profundity of the omega-6 overshoot in the SAD diet and considering the fact that many of us have been consuming diets containing 15x more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3s for decades, this does not appear unlikely. From a scientific perspective it would yet reaffirm that the "optimal n3:n:6 ratio" for someone with a well-balanced cellular level of the latter could be very different from the 1:1 optimum some experts currently recommend as target in the battle against diabesity - right?
Swine study says 1:5 ratio of N3:N6 or higher = optimal health | more
Lets ground ourselves: Dont take this post as an incentive to guzzle vegetable oil all day.

As a strength athlete you may actually harm yourself as it appears that the high omega-6 intake favors the oxidative over the glycolytic pathway. As an endurance athlete, however you may reconsider how important it really is for you to avoid all omega-6 fatty acids as a plague.

On a more general note, it may in fact be worth to take another look at "optimal ratios". While some of the effects of the polyunsaturated fatty acids are in fact acute, their major effects appear to be brought about by their accumulation in our bodies.

The "optimal intake" will thus necessarily depend on the status quo, i.e. the current tissue level of n-3 and n-6 fatty acids and their respective ratios. Against that background we should not be surprised that you can counter the negative effects of an imbalanced diet by administering another imbalanced diet. In our case this is a correction of a profound omega-6 overshoot that can be achieved by increasing our consumption of omega-3 rich foods and limiting our use of omega-6 laden vegetable oils and the products of which the "food" industry tells us they were good for us, because they contain only healthy vegetable oils... this is a practice I have recommended in the past and something I still recommend today.

What I would hope we could agree on, though is the idea that the study at hand, despite being conducted in rodents should remind us that simply switching from one scapegoat to another did not help us, when that scapegoat was saturated fat. Do you really believe the outcomes will be better, when we simply glue the "avoid like a plague" sticker to the omega-6s? Yes? Well, I guess the first thing you should do then, is take your beloved extra-virgin olive oil and pour it away! Why? Well, 10% omega-6 and basically no omega-3 - thats a no go ;-)
References:
  • Ayre KJ, Hulbert AJ. Dietary fatty acid profile affects endurance in rats. Lipids. 1997 Dec;32(12):1265-70. 
  • Pella D, Dubnov G, Singh RB, Sharma R, Berry EM, Manor O. Effects of an Indo-Mediterranean diet on the omega-6/omega-3 ratio in patients at high risk of coronary artery disease: the Indian paradox. World Rev Nutr Diet. 2003;92:74-80.
  • Rogowski MP, Flowers MT, Stamatikos AD, Ntambi JM, Paton CM. SCD1 activity in muscle increases triglyceride PUFA content, exercise capacity, and PPARδ expression in mice. J Lipid Res. 2013 Oct;54(10):2636-46.
  • Simopoulos, AP. Omega-6/omega-3 essential fatty acid ratio and chronic diseases. Food Reviews International. 2004; 20(1).
Read more »

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Exercise Supplementation Quickie Optimal Protein Blend for Protein Synthesis Gout Drug for Muscle Protection Plus 3 Suggestions for Optimal Protein Blends

Dont obsess about "optimal" supplement regimen, start training, eating, sleeping and exercise the patience it takes to reverse years of sedentary pizza eating.
I thought it would be nice to take a closer look at some of the news I would otherwise "waste" in form of a three-liner in the SuppVersity Facebook News and decided that it was about time for yet another "news quickie" on exercise supplementation and exercise & supplementation ;-)

For todays installment of these "Short News", Ive selected a study that discusses the impressive effects of a "gout drug" on exercise induced muscle damage and a study that takes another look at the ever-so-popular issue of "optimal" protein supplementation - an issue some of you are investing so much energy in that it is no wonder that theyre not making the gains they would want to.
You can learn more about protein intake at the SuppVersity

Are You Protein Wheysting?

Cod protein for recovery

Protein requ. of athletes

High EAA protein for fat loss

Fast vs. slow protein

Too much ado about protein?
  • Interesting observation: Xanthine oxidase inhibitor Allopurinol, which is usually used to treat conditions that are cause by increased uric acid levels (e.g. gout), dampens exercise induced muscle damage in trained individuals.

    The results of a recent study from the University of Valencia clearly demonstrate that the use of 300 mg of allopurinol 4h before a soccer match, lead to significant reductions in all measured markers of muscle damage in those six out of twelve professional soccer players who had been randomized to the active arm of the study (Sanshis Gomar. 2014).
    Figure 1: Changes in markers of muscle, heart and liver damage, as well as MDA levels, amarker of lipid oxidation due to soccer match with our without xanthine oxidase inhibitor (Sanshis Gomar. 2014)
    Now, unfortunately, a reduction in muscle damage that is facilitated by the inhibition of an enzyme that generates reactive oxygen species is - as you should by now have learnt from the dozens of posts on hormesis and the beneficial effects of exercise induced increases in reactive oxygen specie, not exactly desirable.

    The authors conclusion that their observation was a great thing and could be used by athletes all around the world is thus probably only valid with respect to in professional soccer players and other elite athletes who are trying to avoid overuse injuries... and even for their health blunting the ROS response to exercise permanently probably isnt going to be exactly conducive to their health.
  • Further evidence for the superiority of protein blends (vs. single sources as whey) for muscle building

    Scientists from the University of Texas Medical Branch, the Texas A&M University, the Arizona State University and the University of Utah found that a blend of soy and dairy protein slightly prolonged net amino acid balance across the leg as compared to whey protein alone, when it was ingested right after a workout.
Remember? Only recently youve learned here at the SuppVersity that Whey + Casein outperform Whey + BCAA + Glutamine and you bet that this combo will also outshadow the combination of whey, a fast digesting protein and soy, with an only minimally more sustained digestion pofile (for suggestions see bullet-points below).
  • In the soon-to-be-published paper, to which I do unfortunately not have access, the scientists emphasize that it is not the fractional protein synthesis rate or the mRNA expression of selected amino acid transporters (LAT1/SLC7A5, CD98/SLC3A2 SNAT2/SLC38A2, PAT1/SLC36A1, CAT1/SLC7A1) which made the difference, but rather the fact hat "the ingestion of the protein blend resulted in a prolonged and positive net phenylalanine balance during post-exercise recovery as compared to whey protein" (Reidy. 2014).

    Now, eventually this is no news. I wrote about a similar phenomenon with whey protein only recently (learn more) and some of the researchers who were part of the study at hand have actually presented very similar results (albeit from a rodent study) in the August edition of Clinical Nutrition last year.
    Figure 2: Fractional protein synthesis 0-270min after the ingestion of pure whey or soy isolate of blends containing soy, whey and caseinate in the given ratios (Butteiger. 2013)
    In this study Butteiger et al. observed that a mixture of 1:1:2 of soy protein, whey protein and caseinate (="broken" micelar casein which has a significantly faster digestion rate than the original) produced the maximal increase in protein synthesis (dotted line in Figure 1), but with "fake casein" and soy, I am 100% sure that you can do better than that with whey hydrolysate, whey concentrate and micellar casein (1:1:1 would mean an identical ratio of the three). As far as the ratios goes, I would suggest the following combinations for specific purposes:
    • 5:5:1 - immediately post workout, if you have a meal within the next 1h
    • 1:1:1 - immediately post workout, if you have a meal within the next 2h
    • 1:3:5 - as a snack, of if you dont have a meal within 4h of the workout
    Please keep in mind, though that I have no scientific evidence to confirm that this would be "optimal" - its just what I would say appears logical based on the current evidence we have. Instead of whey hydrolysate you can also replace this and the whey concentrate by an isolate. So that you would end up at whey isolate : micellar casein ratios of 10:1, 2:1 and 4:5 - got that?
Bottom line: Eventually, there is just one practical conclusion to be drawn from todays news potpourri: There is no need to limit your net protein synthesis with "pure" whey proteins, because this is what most studies use and many of the bros recommend.

 +43% Muscle Glycogen With Whey vs. Amino Acid Mix | learn more
As far as the use of xanthine oxidase inhibitors are concerned, I have my doubts whether that is not going to produce more problems than solve. And as far as the "optimal" ratio of fast- to slow-digesting proteins for maximal protein anabolism is concerned, I can only tell you that it would require 100 studies to get a decently reliable idea of what the "real" optimum for a certain population and training style was.... but dont grudge. In the end those few %-ages of FSR certainly wont be the reason you are not making the gains you are aspiring - so keep looking for excuses and start removing the true obstacles that are standing between yourself and the physique of your dreams.
References:
  • Butteiger, D. N., et al. "A soy, whey and caseinate blend extends postprandial skeletal muscle protein synthesis in rats." Clinical Nutrition 32.4 (2013): 585-591.
  • Reidy, et al. "Soy-Dairy Protein Blend and Whey Protein Ingestion After Resistance Exercise Increases Amino Acid Transport and Transporter Expression in Human Skeletal Muscle." Journal of Applied Physiology April 3, 2014 jap.01093.2013 
  • Sanchis‐Gomar, F., et al. "Allopurinol prevents cardiac and skeletal muscle damage in professional soccer players." Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports (2014).
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