New Findings on Low-Glycemic-Load Diets for Weight Loss

New Findings on Low-Glycemic-Load Diets for Weight Loss
By Rosalie Marion BlissDecember 27, 2005
A low-glycemic-load diet enhanced weight loss among certain volunteers on a reduced-calorie diet for six months. The significant level of weight loss was limited to those among the study participants who were considered "high-insulin-secreting." The findings could lead to more customized weight-loss strategies in the future, though the results must be replicated in a larger study before being considered definitive.
The study findings were published in the December 2005 issue of Diabetes Care.
Senior authors Susan Roberts and Andrew Greenberg were funded by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS). Roberts is director of the Energy Metabolism Laboratory, and Greenberg is director of the Obesity and Metabolism Laboratory, both at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts University. Lead author Anastassios G. Pittas is with the Tufts-New England Medical Center. Both centers are based in Boston, Mass.
Roberts, Greenberg and Pittas worked with coauthors at both centers. The study was performed at the HNRCA as part of a trial funded by the National Institutes of Health.
The volunteers were all healthy but overweight adults--aged 24 to 42 years. Each was given a diet that provided 30 percent fewer calories than his or her baseline calorie needs. Half the participants were randomly assigned to a low-glycemic-load diet of 40 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent protein and 30 percent fat. The other half consumed a high-glycemic-load diet: 60 percent carbohydrates, 20 percent protein and 20 percent fat.
All participants lost some weight as a result of restricting calories, but those who lost the most had high baseline levels of insulin secretion and ate the low-glycemic-load diet.
Glycemic load is a relative measure of how much carbohydrate is in the diet combined with how quickly that food is converted in the body to blood sugar. The volunteers' insulin secretion levels were based on their responses to a standard, two-hour oral glucose tolerance test.
Further studies are planned for larger groups of volunteers.
ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency.
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Vitamin E

Overreaction to Vitamin E Study Could Cause Increased Health Risk
DSEA

Overreaction to Vitamin E Study Could Cause Increased Health Risk
New poll shows one in five Americans may stop using vitamin E, experts concerned
WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new national poll demonstrates that 18 percent of Americans are less likely to take vitamin E based on the news suggesting high doses “may increase risk of dying” among older, high-risk patients. Many experts are concerned that a meta-analysis, released last month, may lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease as consumers become less likely to take the beneficial supplement – vitamin E.
“Vitamin E is such an important antioxidant,” said Barbara Levine, PhD, director of the Nutrition Information Center and associate professor of nutrition in medicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University. “If consumers base their lifestyles on this inconclusive meta-analysis, we could see an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, cancers and age-related macular degeneration in an otherwise healthy population.”
“This study, released at the American Heart Association annual meeting, produced and created an avalanche of misinformation that puts millions of Americans at a health risk,” said Elliott Balbert, president of the Dietary Supplement Education Alliance. “Numerous scientific studies have shown that Americans, especially seniors, should take vitamin E supplements to combat cardiovascular disease.”
Commissioned by the Dietary Supplement Information Bureau (DSIB), the survey measured the attitudes (post meta-analysis) of 1,051 American adults via telephone from November 19 through November 22, 2004.
Other poll findings include that nearly 20 percent recalled the negative study on vitamin E, and one in ten (10 percent) say they are less likely to take a dietary supplement as a result of recent news coverage.
However, the poll showed that the American people overwhelmingly believe in the benefits of vitamins and vitamin E:
Ninety percent of Americans surveyed agree that a well-balanced daily intake of vitamins from both food and dietary supplements is an important part of a healthy diet and lifestyle.
Furthermore, 79 percent believe it is important to get the recommended daily allowance of vitamin E from food and dietary supplement sources.
“Do not throw away your vitamin E,” said C. Wayne Callaway, MD, Internal Medicine, Endocrinology, Metabolism and Clinical Nutrition. “One study does not outweigh the many studies that document the benefits of vitamin E in people who need it and the lack of harm in people who do not."

In response to the meta-analysis, the DSIB launched a new Web site – www.vitaminEfacts.org – to help consumers obtain accurate information on vitamin E. Visitors will find referenced materials to help them understand the analysis generating news headlines and facts on why vitamin E is safe and beneficial.
For more information call Bree Flammini at 202.326.1763 or Deb Knowles at 941-349-9044.
The Dietary Supplement Information Bureau (DSIB) was created to provide accurate information about vitamins, minerals, herbs and other supplements for consumers and the professional healthcare community. The DSIB Scientific Advisory Board comprises nationally-recognized physicians and researchers who are experts in dietary supplements. For more information, see the DSIB Web site at www.supplementinfo.org.

Hidden Dangers of Skin Care

Skim down about half way to the section entitled "Hidden Dangers in Skin-Care Products" to see USANA's skin care line recommended in the article

Hidden Dangers in Skin-Care Products
An urban myth was proved when British researchers at the University of Reading found traces of chemical preservatives called parabens in breast cancer tissue. This finding supported the long-running urban legend that underarm antiperspirants and some deodorants cause breast cancer. (For more on the breast cancer-antiperspirant link, see Daily Health News, March 16, 2004.) While it's easy to dismiss the problem and simply stop using deodorants/antiperspirants, the fact of the matter is that parabens are in many other products we all commonly use.
AN ESTROGENIC IMPACT
Parabens -- benzylparaben, methylparaben, propylparaben and others -- are commonly used to increase the shelf life of a wide range of personal care products, such as deodorants, shampoos, skin lotions and cosmetics. They're also used in pharmaceuticals and foods. The problem is that these chemicals are what scientists refer to as "weakly estrogenic." That is, in the body, they mimic the action of the natural hormone estrogen, many metabolites of which play a role in the development of breast tumors.
EXPOSURE FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES CAN ADD UP
Neither the British study nor any other research has demonstrated a direct causal relationship between parabens and breast cancer. Yet while a single source of estrogen exposure may or may not lead to cancer, women and men are routinely bombarded with estrogen from a variety of sources -- from our own bodies, personal care products, drugs, pesticides and dietary choices such as hormone-fed beef. There are even concerns about excessive soy intake. Over time, the fear is that cumulative exposure to relatively small amounts of estrogen, and estrogen mimics, can add up to big trouble.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
According to Nan Kathryn Fuchs, PhD, editor and writer of the Women's Health Letter (www.womenshealthletter.com), it's time to take a close look at the ingredients in your soaps, cosmetics and shampoos... not just your deodorants. Sure enough, when I lined up my family's toiletries, every shampoo and conditioner (including the "natural" ones from the health-food store) contained some form of parabens. Even the pricey facial cleanser prescribed by my daughter's dermatologist listed methylparaben and propylparaben as ingredients.
If you look, there are paraben-free products on the market. Usana and Aubrey are two product lines in particular that offer paraben-free products. The final nail is not in the coffin of parabens, but why take the chance if you don't have to?
Be well,