Fats: The Good the Bad and the Ugly

Health Canada

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca

Health Canada- states, unsaturated fats (plant-based) are good and saturated (animal-based) are bad.

The good: unsaturated fats

Unsaturated fat is a type of fat found in the foods you eat. Replacing saturated and trans fats with unsaturated fats has been shown to help lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease. Unsaturated fat also provides omega-3 and -6 fatty acids. Choose foods with unsaturated fat as part of a balanced diet using Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide.

Even though it is a “good fat,” having too much unsaturated fat may lead to having too many calories. This may cause weight gain and increase your risk of developing obesitytype 2 diabetesheart disease and certain types of Next link will take you to another Web site cancer.

There are two main types of unsaturated fats:

  1. monounsaturated fat, which can be found in:
    • avocados
    • nuts and seeds (like cashews, pecans, almonds and peanuts)
    • vegetable oils (like canola, olive, peanut, safflower, sesame and sunflower)
  2. polyunsaturated fat, which can be found in:
    • fatty fish (like herring, mackerel, salmon, trout and smelt)
    • fish oils
    • nuts and seeds (like cashews, pecans, almonds and peanuts)
    • vegetable oils (like canola, corn, flaxseed, soybean and sunflower)

The bad: saturated fats

Saturated fat is a type of fat found in food. It has been shown to raiseLDL or “bad” cholesterol levels. Having high LDL-cholesterol levels increases your risk for heart disease.

Saturated fat is found in many foods:

  • animal foods (like beef, chicken, lamb, pork and veal)
  • coconut, palm and palm kernel oils
  • dairy products (like butter, cheese and whole milk)
  • lard
  • shortening

Choosing lower-fat meat and dairy products can help reduce the amount of saturated fat in your diet.

Use vegetable oil or soft margarines that are low in saturated and trans fats instead of butter, hard margarine, lard and shortening.

The ugly: trans fats

Trans fat is made from a chemical process known as “partial hydrogenation.” This is when liquid oil is made into a solid fat.

Like saturated fat, trans fat has been shown to raise LDL or “bad” cholesterol levels, which increases your risk for heart disease. Unlike saturated fat, trans fat also lowers HDL or “good” cholesterol. A low level of HDL-cholesterol is also a risk factor for heart disease.

Until recently, most of the trans fat found in a typical Canadian diet came from:

  • margarines (especially hard margarines)
  • commercially fried foods
  • bakery products made with shortening, margarine or oils containing partially hydrogenated oils and fats (including cakes, cookies, crackers, croissants, doughnuts, fried and breaded foods, muffins, pastries and other snack foods)

If a product has less than 0.2 grams of trans fat AND less than 0.5 g of saturated fat, the food manufacturer can say that the product is trans-fat-free. Learn more about nutrition claims.

Our food supply is rapidly changing and the trans fat content of many of these products has now been reduced. But it is still important to look at the Nutrition Facts table to make sure the food product you are buying has only a little or no trans fat.

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/iyh-vsv/med/fats-gras-eng.php

Cancer Society says “Red meat and processed meat increase your risk of cancer”

Nutrition and fitness

People exercising on matsWe wish we could tell you that preventing cancer was as simple as eating a certain food or doing a certain exercise, but we can’t. This much, though, is clear:

 

  • You have a higher risk of developing cancer if you are overweight. Staying at a healthy body weight reduces your risk of cancer.
  • Eating well – lots of veggies and fruit, lots of fibre, and little fat and sugar – will help you keep a healthy body weight.
  • Regular physical activity helps protect against cancer. It’s also one of the best ways to help you stay at a healthy body weight, which reduces your risk of cancer.
  • Red meat and processed meat increase your risk of cancer.

Food for thought

About one-third of all cancers can be prevented by eating well, being active and maintaining a healthy body weight.

 

The science is clear: it’s the overall pattern of living that’s important. You can lower your risk if you move more, stay lean and eat plenty of vegetables and fruit, as well as other plant foods such as whole grains and beans.

Read more:http://www.cancer.ca/en/prevention-and-screening/live-well/nutrition-and-fitness/?region=pe

Fatty Diets Linked to Cancer and Early Death

 

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Fatty Diets Linked to Cancer and Early Death

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Diets high in saturated fats and sugar may increase your risk of death from gastrointestinal cancers, including stomach and esophageal, according to a presentation at the American Institute for Cancer Research Annual Research Conference. Researchers observed 10,525 men and women from the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study for 16 years and asked them to keep diet records. Participants with diets higher in fat and sugar were four times more likely to develop and 53 percent more likely to die from these cancer, compared with those who consumed plant-based diets.

Tabung FK, Steck SE, Zhang J. Dietary inflammatory index and risk of mortality: findings from the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study. Poster presented at: American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) Annual Research Conference; November 7, 2013: Bethesda, MD.

High-Fat, High-Protein Diets Linked to Type 2 Diabetes

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High-Fat, High-Protein Diets Linked to Type 2 Diabetes

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A diet high in protein and fat and low in carbohydrate may increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Researchers followed 66,485 women enrolled in the E3N-European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study over a 14-year period. Women with diets high in meat and low in carbohydrates and plant foods, which the researchers called an acidic diet, had a 56 percent greater chance of developing diabetes, compared with those eating diets high in fruits and vegetables, which the researchers called an alkaline diet.

Fagherazzi G, Vilier A, Bonnet F, et al. Dietary acid load and risk of type 2 diabetes: the E3N-EPIC cohort study. Diabetologia. Published online November 11, 2013.

FOODS TO AVOID FOR OSTEOARTHRITIS

Dec 15, 2010 | By August McLaughlin
Refined carbohydrates and unhealthy fats may worsen symptoms of osteoarthritis.
Photo Credit Adam Gault/Digital Vision/Getty Images
Osteoarthritis, also called degenerative joint disease, is a chronic condition that causes cartilage deterioration in your joints. The most common form of arthritis, according to MayoClinic.com, osteoarthritis most often affects your hands, neck, hips, lower back and/or knees. While no cure exists, medical treatments, physical therapy and lifestyle changes, such as a healthy diet, may help reduce your symptoms. For best results, seek specified guidance from a qualified professional.

REFINED CARBOHYDRATES

Refined carbohydrates, such as enriched flour and sugar, provide calories, but few nutrients to foods. As high-glycemic foods, refined carbohydrate sources can have a damaging impact on your blood sugar levels, appetite, energy and moods. The University of Maryland Medical Center recommends avoiding enriched breads, pasta and snack foods as one useful dietary step toward reducing osteoarthritis symptoms. For best results, check food packaging on breads, cereals, pasta and snack foods, and avoid those that list enriched white or wheat flour or added sugars, such as cane sugar, corn syrup or brown rice syrup as main ingredients. Beverages rich in added sugars include regular soft drinks, sweetened coffee drinks, chocolate milk and fruit punch.

MEAT AND EGGS

Meat and eggs contain saturated fat, which, when consumed in excess, increases your risk for heart disease, certain forms of cancer and obesity. Meat and eggs also contain omega-6 fatty acids. Consuming too many omega-6 fatty acids and too few omega-3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish and flaxseed, may exacerbate arthritic pain and inflammation, according to Arthritis Today. For best results, choose fatty fish, such as salmon and tuna, lean poultry, low-fat dairy products and legumes, over red meat and eggs most often. Since the egg yolks contain the saturated fat and omega-6 fatty acid content, consume the whites only.

TRANS FATS

Trans fats are created through a process in which hydrogen is added to vegetable oil. Trans fats can increase your “bad,” or LDL, cholesterol, and increase your “good,” or HDL, cholesterol. Trans fats can also lead to inflammation, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. To reduce your trans fat intake, choose whole foods such as fruits and vegetables, over processed snack foods such as crackers, potato chips and pastries. Trans fats are prevalent in shortening, margarine and all foods that list partially hydrogenated vegetable oil as an ingredient. Frozen meals, canned soup, certain brands of peanut butter and numerous fast foods also contain trans fats.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/335491-foods-to-avoid-for-osteoarthritis/#ixzz2ixIAdD8P

What’s Wrong with Eggs?

By    |   Posted on September 3, 2013 

 

Whats wrong with eggs 570x299 What’s Wrong with Eggs?A common question I hear as a dietitian (second only to “Where do you get your protein?” of course) is “What’s wrong with eggs?”

Where to begin? Let’s start with the obvious egg facts. Eggs have zero dietary fiber, and about 70 percent of their calories are from fat—a big portion of which is saturated. They are also loaded with cholesterol—about 213 milligrams for an average-sized egg. For reference, people with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or high cholesterol should consume fewer than 200 milligrams of cholesterol each day. (Uh oh.) And, humans have no biological need to consume any cholesterol at all; we make more than enough in our own bodies.

 

Why so much fat and cholesterol in such a tiny package? Think about it: eggs hold every piece of the puzzle needed to produce a new life. Within that shell lies the capacity to make feathers, eyes, a beak, a brain, a heart, and so on. It takes a lot of stuff to make such a complex being.

In addition to these excessive (for humans) natural components of an egg, other human-health hazards exist. Because eggshells are fragile and porous, and conditions on egg farms are crowded, eggs are the perfect host for salmonella—the leading cause of food poisoning in the U.S.

Those are some facts and figures. But how do eggs affect real people in real life? Luckily, researchers have conducted good studies to help answer that question.

Cancer

In a 1992 analysis of dietary habits, people who consumed just 1.5 eggs per week had nearly five times the risk for colon cancer, compared with those who consumed hardly any (fewer than 11 per year), according to the International Journal of Cancer. The World Health Organization analyzed data from 34 countries in 2003 and found that eating eggs is associated with death from colon and rectal cancers. And a 2011 study funded by the National Institutes of Healthshowed that eating eggs is linked to developing prostate cancer. By consuming 2.5 eggs per week, men increased their risk for a deadly form of prostate cancer by 81 percent, compared with men who consumed less than half an egg per week. Finally, even moderate egg consumption tripled the risk of developing bladder cancer, according to a 2005 study published in International Urology and Nephrology.

Diabetes

A review of fourteen studies published earlier this year in the journalAtherosclerosis showed that people who consumed the most eggs increased their risk for diabetes by 68 percent, compared with those who ate the fewest.

In a 2008 publication for the Physicians’ Health Study I, which included more than 21,000 participants, researchers found that those who consumed seven or more eggs per week had an almost 25 percent increased risk of death compared to those with the lowest egg consumption. The risk of death for participants with diabetes who ate seven or more eggs per week was twice as high as for those who consumed the least amount of eggs.

Egg consumption also increases the risk of gestational diabetes, according to two 2011 studies referenced in the American Journal of Epidemiology. Women who consumed the most eggs had a 77 percent increased risk of diabetes in one study and a 165 percent increased risk in the other, compared with those who consumed the least.

Heart Disease

Researchers published a blanket warning in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, informing readers that ceasing egg consumption after a heart attack would be “a necessary act, but late.” In the previously mentioned 14-study review, researchers found that people who consumed the most eggs increased their risk for cardiovascular disease by 19 percent, and if those people already had diabetes, the risk for developing heart disease jumped to 83 percent with increased egg consumption.

New research published this year has shown that a byproduct of choline, a component that is particularly high in eggs, increases one’s risk for a heart attack, stroke, and death.

Animal Protein

Inevitably, this discussion also leads to another question: “Even egg whites?” Yes, even egg whites are trouble. The reason most people purport to eat egg whites is also the reason they should be wary — egg whites are a very concentrated source of animal protein (remember, the raw material for all those yet-to-be-developed body parts?). Because most Westerners get far more protein than they need, adding a concentrated source of it to the diet can increase the risk for kidney disease, kidney stones, and some types of cancer.

By avoiding eggs and consuming more plant-based foods, you will not only decrease your intake of cholesterol, saturated fat, and animal protein, but also increase your intake of protective fiber, antioxidants, and phytochemicals. Be smart! Skip the eggs and enjoy better health!

Susan Levin, M.S., R.D.

Susan Levin, M.S., R.D.

Susan Levin, M.S., R.D., is director of nutrition education at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting preventive medicine. Ms. Levin researches and writes about the connection between plant-based diets and a reduced risk of chronic diseases, including cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

Ginger: Truly Among the Great Medicines of the World

by 
August 29th, 2013

ginger root sliced 263x164 Ginger: Truly Among the Great Medicines of the WorldFor centuries, people around the world have used used ginger for medicinal purposes. So did Confucius. He said he never ate a meal without it. Henry VIII recommended ginger to keep the plague away. English taverns in the nineteenth century used ginger in their beer. The Romans and Greeks used the herb in place of dramamine for long voyages at sea. Indians used it in Ayuverdic concotions. This incredible ‘hand’, or root of the Zingiber officinale, is an incredible food with numerous and wonderful healing qualities that have been experienced for at least the last 4400 years, if not longer.

Ginger originates from Southeast Asia, but grows well in multiple climates. It now grows all over Europe, the US, China, Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, and elsewhere.

Full of antioxidants, iron, phosphorous, potassium, riboflavin, and more, ginger can kill salmonella as well as other undesirable viruses (including the common cold), and clots blood better than onion or garlic while reducing blood coagulation by inhibiting the cell synthesis of thromboxane. The spice can lower ‘bad’ cholesterol, can be used as a drug-free pain killer, helps with stomach ailments, and reduces nausea. It improves digestion by increasing salivary and stomach secretions.

Japanese biochemists have also proven that ginger is one of many cancer-fighting foods, reducing cell mutation which can lead to cancer. Another study coming to similar conclusions showed that ginger extract triggered apoptosis of G cells HCT 116 and HT 29 – cancer causing cellular lines.

Check out this article for a more in-depth and complete list of the health benefits of ginger.

Ginger can be used in cooking, taken as a supplement, or even consumed in teas or ginger candies. In India, children are given ginger to guard against whopping cough. Just a ¼ teaspoon of ginger per serving of cooked foods can deliver a great zing to vegetables or broths for soup and deliver all the powerful medicine that ginger offers to cure multiple ailments. You can grate the root into a pulp and use it fresh or find an organic extract to use in a pinch. Ginger never fails to deliver great taste and overall immune support and physical well-being.

Read more: http://naturalsociety.com/ginger-great-medicine-of-world/#ixzz2dXXgDZHN
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