The Alabama 3-day diet is appealing to people who are struggling to lose weight and want a diet that promises quick, encouraging results. This version of a fad diet. Read the latest Cardiology news, opinion, conference coverage, thought leader perspectives, medical journal articles and more from theheart.org and Medscape. Changes in Diet and Lifestyle and Long-Term Weight Gain in Women and Men. Dariush Mozaffarian, M.D., Dr.P.H., Tao Hao, M.P.H., Eric B. ![]() ![]() Essential Fatty Acids . Long- chain omega- 3 PUFA in particular exert anti- inflammatory effects and it is recommended to increase their presence in the diet. Genetic polymorphisms in fatty acid synthesizing enzymes can have a significant impact on fatty acid levels in the body. Feeding infants formula enriched with DHA and AA appears to have no significant effect on cognitive development and a very modest effect on visual acuity. ![]() ![]() Thus, the American Heart Association recommends that all adults eat fish, particularly oily fish, at least twice weekly. In all omega- 6 fatty acids, the first double bond is located between the sixth and seventh carbon atom from the methyl end of the fatty acid (n- 6). Similarly, in all omega- 3 fatty acids, the first double bond is located between the third and fourth carbon atom counting from the methyl end of the fatty acid (n- 3). Scientific abbreviations for fatty acids tell the reader something about their chemical structure. One scientific abbreviation for . The first part (1. ALA is an 1. 8- carbon fatty acid with three double bonds, while the second part (n- 3) tells the reader that the first double bond is in the n- 3 position, which defines it as an omega- 3 fatty acid (Figures 1a and 1b). Double bonds introduce kinks in the hydrocarbon chain that influence the structure and physical properties of the fatty acid molecule (Figure 1c). Although humans and other mammals can synthesizesaturated fatty acids and some monounsaturated fatty acids from carbon groups in carbohydrates and proteins, they lack the enzymes necessary to insert a cis double bond at the n- 6 or the n- 3 position of a fatty acid (1). Consequently, omega- 6 and omega- 3 fatty acids are essential nutrients. The parent fatty acid of the omega- 6 series is linoleic acid (LA; 1. ![]() Metabolism and Bioavailability. Prior to absorption in the small intestine, fatty acids must be hydrolyzed from dietary fats (triglycerides and phospholipids) by. Total read time (bolded sections): 2-3 minutes Total read time (complete): 12 minutes. Last week, I had a wonderful conversation with Gary Taubes, my favorite science. Mean Changes in Secondary Outcomes Relative to Baseline, by Diet Group and Time*. Dieting is the practice of eating food in a regulated and supervised fashion to decrease, maintain, or increase body weight. In other words, it is conscious control. ![]() ALA (Table 1 and Figure 2). Humans can synthesize long- chain (2. Names and Abbreviations of the Omega- 6 and Omega- 3 Fatty Acids. Omega- 6 Fatty Acids. Omega- 3 Fatty Acids. Linoleic acid. LA1. Bile salts must also be present in the small intestine to allow for the incorporation of fatty acids and other fat digestion products into mixed micelles. Fat absorption from mixed micelles occurs throughout the small intestine and is 8. Blood concentrations of fatty acids reflect both dietary intake and biological processes (3). ![]() Humans can synthesize longer omega- 6 and omega- 3 fatty acids from the essential fatty acids LA and ALA, respectively, through a series of desaturation (addition of a double bond) and elongation (addition of two carbon atoms) reactions (Figure 3) (4, 5). LA and ALA compete for the same elongase and desaturase enzymes in the synthesis of longer polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as AA and EPA. The capacity to generate DHA from ALA is higher in women than men. Studies of ALA metabolism in healthy young men indicate that approximately 8% of dietary ALA is converted to EPA and 0- 4% is converted to DHA (6). In healthy young women, approximately 2. ALA is converted to EPA and 9% is converted to DHA (7). The better conversion efficiency of young women compared to men appears to be related to the effects of estrogen(8, 9). Although ALA is considered the essential omega- 3 fatty acid because it cannot be synthesized by humans, evidence that human conversion of EPA and, particularly, DHA is relatively inefficient suggests that EPA and DHA may be considered conditionally essential nutrients. In addition to gender differences, genetic variability in enzymes involved in fatty acid metabolism influences one's ability to generate long- chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC- PUFA). Two key enzymes in fatty acid metabolism are delta- 6 desaturase (FADS2) and delta- 5 desaturase (FADS1) (see Figure 3 above) (1. Two common haplotypes (a cluster of polymorphisms) in the FADS genes differ dramatically in their ability to generate LC- PUFA: haplotype D is associated with increased FADS activity (both FADS1 and FADS2) and is more efficient in converting fatty acid precursors (LA and ALA) to LC- PUFA (EPA, GLA, DHA, and AA) (1. These FADS polymorphisms are relatively common in the population and may explain up to 3. Finally, DHA is retroconverted to EPA at a low basal rate and following supplementation (see Figure 3 above) (1. After supplementing omnivores (n=8) and vegetarians (n=1. EPA- free preparation of DHA (1. EPA and DHA levels increased in serum and platelet phospholipids (1. Based on the measured changes, the estimated percent retroconversion of DHA to EPA was 7. Due to this nontrivial retroconversion efficiency, DHA supplementation represents an alternative to fish oil to increase blood and tissue levels of EPA, DPA, and DHA (5) (see Supplements). Biological Activities. Membrane structure and function. Omega- 6 and omega- 3 PUFA are important structural components of cell membranes. When incorporated into phospholipids, they affect cell membrane properties, such as fluidity, flexibility, permeability, and the activity of membrane- bound enzymes(1. In addition to endogenousmetabolism, dietary consumption of fatty acids can modify the composition and molecular structure of cellular membranes. Thus, increasing omega- 3 fatty acid intake increases the omega- 3 content of red blood cells, immune cells (1. DHA is selectively incorporated into retinal cell membranes and postsynaptic neuronal cell membranes, suggesting it plays important roles in vision and nervous system function. Vision. DHA is found at very high concentrations in the cell membranes of the retina; the retina conserves and recycles DHA even when omega- 3 fatty acid intake is low (1. Animal studies indicate that DHA is required for the normal development and function of the retina. Moreover, these studies suggest that there is a critical period during retinal development when inadequate DHA will result in permanent abnormalities in retinal function. Research indicates that DHA plays an important role in the regeneration of the visual pigment rhodopsin, which plays a critical role in the visual transduction system that converts light hitting the retina to visual images in the brain (1. Nervous system. The phospholipids of the brain’s gray matter contain high proportions of DHA and AA, suggesting they are important to central nervous system function (2. Brain DHA content may be particularly important, since animal studies have shown that depletion of DHA in the brain can result in learning deficits. It is not clear how DHA affects brain function, but changes in DHA content of neuronal cell membranes could alter the function of ion channels or membrane- associated receptors, as well as the availability of neurotransmitters(2. Synthesis of lipid mediators. Eicosanoids. Eicosanoids are potent chemical messengers that play critical roles in immune and inflammatory responses. The term 'eicosanoid' encompasses numerous bioactive lipid mediators that are derived from 2. LC- PUFA. Following stimulation by hormones, cytokines, and other stimuli, DGLA, AA, and EPA are released from cell membranes and become substrates for eicosanoid production (Figure 4). Eicosanoid synthesis relies primarily on three families of enzymes: cyclooxygenases (COX), lipoxygenases (LOX), and cytochrome p. P4. 50s) (2. 2). From 2. COX enzymes produce prostaglandins, prostacyclins, and thromboxanes (collectively known as prostanoids); LOX produces leukotrienes and hydroxy fatty acids; and P4. In general, eicosanoids derived from EPA are less potent inducers of inflammation, blood vessel constriction, and coagulation than eicosanoids derived from AA (2. Nonetheless, it is an oversimplification to label all AA- derived eicosanoids as pro- inflammatory. AA- derived prostaglandins induce inflammation but also inhibit pro- inflammatory leukotrienes and cytokines and induce anti- inflammatory lipoxins, thereby modulating the intensity and duration of the inflammatory response via negative feedback (see Figure 5 above) (1. Pro- resolving mediators. A separate class of PUFA- derived bioactive lipids, specialized pro- resolving mediators (SPMs), has been recently identified (reviewed in 2. These molecules function as local mediators of the resolution phase of inflammation, actively turning off the inflammatory response. SPMs are derived from both omega- 6 and omega- 3 PUFA (see Figure 5 above) (2. The S- series of SPMs results from the LOX- mediated oxygenation of EPA and DHA, giving rise to S- resolvins, S- protectins, and S- maresins. A second class of SPMs, the R- series, is generated from the aspirin- dependent acetylation of COX- 2 and subsequent generation of aspirin- triggered SPMs from AA, EPA, and DHA. It appears that these mediators may explain many of the anti- inflammatory actions of omega- 3 fatty acids that have been described (1. Isoprostanes. Isoprostanes are prostaglandin- like compounds that are formed by non- enzymatic, free radical- induced oxidation of any PUFA with three or more double bonds (see Figure 5 above) (2. Because they are produced upon exposure to free radicals, isoprostanes are often used as markers for oxidative stress. In contrast to prostanoids, isoprostanes are synthesized from esterified PUFA precursors and remain bound to the membrane phospholipid until cleaved by PLA2 and released into circulation. In addition to being used as markers of oxidative stress, isoprostanes may also function as inflammatory mediators, exerting both pro- and anti- inflammatory effects (2. Regulation of gene expression. The results of cell culture and animal studies indicate that omega- 6 and omega- 3 fatty acids can modulate the expression of a number of genes, including those involved with fatty acid metabolism and inflammation(2. Omega- 6 and omega- 3 fatty acids regulate gene expression by interacting with specific transcription factors, such as peroxisome proliferator- activated receptors (PPARs) (2. In many cases, PUFA act like hydrophobichormones (e. PPARs. These ligand- activated receptors then bind to the promoters of genes and function to increase/decrease transcription. How Many Calories Does the Body Naturally Burn Per Day . To figure out how many calories your body naturally burns each day, you can use a formula to derive an estimation. Then, adjust the number higher or lower based on variables including your body type, activity level and lifestyle, as well as any habits or special medical conditions you have. Basal Metabolic Rate. The number of calories your body needs to maintain its basic physiological functions while at rest is your basal metabolic rate, or BMR. Judy Learn, Nutrition Professor at North Seattle Community College, says that 6. People who naturally burn calories slowly often have difficulty maintaining a healthy weight. Estimating Your BMRYou can estimate your BMR by plugging your age, weight in pounds and height in inches into the following formula: For women: 6. Men, who are generally more muscular than women, burn more calories. Additionally, most people lose muscle mass as they age, so younger people tend to burn more calories than do older people. Weight training is an effective way to speed up your basal metabolism. Genetics. According to Learn, culture and family practices play a role in determining a child's weight, but a slow or fast BMR is also partly hereditary. A child whose parents are not obese, she says, has only a 1. With one obese parent, a child's risk of obesity goes up to 4. This may be due to a genetic propensity for greater or lesser muscle mass or other outlying factors, but the fact remains that slow BMRs seem to run in families. Demands to Your System. When your body must fight an illness or meet extra demands, it requires additional calories, so your BMR rises. People with a fever burn calories more quickly than people who are well, as do people who regularly engage in activities that stress the body, such as smoking cigarettes or drinking coffee. Breast- feeding and pregnancy, which both require your body to work harder in general, also cause you to use extra calories. In addition, people recovering from injuries or illness tend to burn more calories while at rest. Activity. Weightlifting is not the only way to speed up your basal metabolism. Your heart, which is made of cardiac muscle, can also be strengthened by aerobic activity, making it better able to pump blood through your body and burn calories throughout the day. Active people tend to burn calories more quickly because of their lifestyles and because they are generally fitter, with hearts that are better able to pump blood throughout their bodies, burning extra calories all day long. About the Author. Maia Appleby is a NASM- certified personal trainer with more than 1. Her articles have been published in a wide variety of print magazines and online publications, including the Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health, New Moon Network and Bodybuilding. Photo Creditswoman relaxing on the couch image by Multiart from Fotolia. Birmingham Cardiac Diet . The Birmingham Cardiac Diet - - also known as the British Heart Foundation Diet, the three- day diet and the Greenland Diet - - belongs in this category. Although the plan was allegedly developed at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital, officials there say this is not true and that the diet is unhealthy. If you're struggling with weight loss, ask your doctor for help developing a nutrition and exercise plan that will lead to healthy, sustainable weight loss. The Birmingham Cardiac Diet consists of three days of specific plans for breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you strictly adhere to the menu instructions, you will consume an average of 8. No food substitutions or alterations in the portion sizes are allowed. You're permitted to use any cooking method you prefer to prepare your meat and vegetables, though you cannot use any spices, herbs, condiments or oils other than salt, pepper, nonstick cooking spray, lemon juice, lemon pepper seasoning and mustard. No exercise instructions are included. Day 1 starts with a breakfast of grapefruit, toast spread with peanut butter and coffee or tea with a noncaloric sweetener, if desired. Lunch is toast topped with tuna fish, followed by a dinner of lean meat, green beans, carrots, an apple and ice cream. Day 2 features a breakfast of toast, an egg and a banana, while lunch is cottage cheese and five crackers. Dinner consists of two hot dogs, carrots, another banana, broccoli or cabbage and more ice cream. On day 3, you'll eat crackers, cheese and an apple at breakfast, an egg and toast for lunch and tuna, carrots, cauliflower, melon and ice cream at dinner. It's likely you'll lose weight on the Birmingham Cardiac Diet, says . News & World Report. The required foods are inexpensive and, since the plan only lasts three days, it may be easier for some dieters to stick with it through completion. The menus are basic enough for a person with very limited kitchen experience or time to easily prepare. Some dieters may find the inclusion of typically forbidden foods - - ice cream and hot dogs - - appealing. According to British Heart Foundation senior dietitian Victoria Taylor, the Birmingham Cardiac Diet will only help you lose water or muscle weight, not fat. The diet provides less than the minimum 1,2. Following the program for three days may not damage the health of the average adult, but it may lead to repeated cycles of gaining and losing weight that can strain your heart and immune system and increase your risk of nutrient deficiencies. The plan does not encourage the development of healthy lifestyle habits. Add These 1. 2 Anti- Aging Nutrients to Your Diet. By Dr. Mercola. Nutritionists have long been interested in the dynamics of telomere length in the body, and how telomeres figure in to human health and life expectancy. Telomeres were first discovered in 1. Alexey Olovnikov. He found that the tiny units of DNA at the very end of each chromosome—the telomere—shorten with time because they cannot replicate completely each time the cell divides and they may be the most powerful biological clock that has yet to be identified. Hence, as you get older, your telomeres get shorter and shorter. Eventually, DNA replication and cell division ceases completely, at which point you die. However, a growing body of research is showing that certain nutrients play a huge role in protecting telomere length; greatly affecting how long you live. One Way Nutrition Affects Longevity. For example, in one recent studyi, scientists found that the B vitamin folate plays an important part in maintenance of DNA integrity and DNA methylation, which in turn influences telomere length. Researchers also found that women who use vitamin B1. Vitamin D3, zinc, iron, omega- 3 fatty acids, and vitamins C and E also influence telomere length. This supports the findings of an earlier study from 2. According to the authors. In the analysis of micronutrients, higher intakes of vitamins C and E from foods were each associated with longer telomeres, even after adjustment for multivitamin use. Thousands of studies have been published on telomerase, and they are well- known to maintain genomic stability, prevent the inappropriate activation of DNA damage pathways, and regulate cellular aging. In 1. 98. 4, Elizabeth Blackburn Ph. D, professor of biochemistry and biophysics at UCSF, discovered that the enzyme telomerase actually has the ability to lengthen the telomere by synthesizing DNA from an RNA primer. She, along with Carol Greider and Jack Szostak were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2. This is great news, as short telomeres are a risk factor not just for death itself, but for many diseases as well. For example, telomere shortening has been linked to the diseases listed below. But animal studies have also shown that these types of health problems can be reversed by restoring telomerase functioning: Decreased immune response against infections Type 2 diabetes Atherosclerotic lesions Neurodegenerative diseases Testicular, splenic, intestinal atrophy DNA damage Top 1. Key Nutrients for Life Extension. The featured study found the following nutrients to have a beneficial impact on telomere length: Vitamin B1. Zinc. Vitamin DOmega- 3. Vitamin CVitamin EBelow, I will review a few of those, plus several additional recommendations for what I believe are among the most important nutrients to maintain and promote telomere lengthening. Naturally, any attempt at a list like this is bound to fail to some degree as we really need a balance of a wide variety of nutrients. However, I believe it's possible to make some general recommendations based on the fact that most people are sorely deficient in many of these key nutrients that we know are important for optimal health. Others, such as astaxanthin and curcumin, just have such robust scientific support that it would seem foolish to ignore them when the benefits are so profound. With that said, here are my recommendations for the top 1. I have listed the 1. I believe they have in importance. I personally take the first six every day but the vitamin D is through sun exposure, not through an oral supplement. Vitamin DIn one study of more than 2,0. D levels were found to have fewer aging- related changes in their DNA, as well as lowered inflammatory responsesiii. Women with higher levels of vitamin D are more likely to have longer telomeres, and vice versa. This means that people with higher levels of vitamin D may actually age more slowly than people with lower levels of vitamin D. Your leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is a predictor for aging related diseases. As you age, your LTL's become shorter, but, if you suffer from chronic inflammation, your telomeres decrease in length much faster, because your body's inflammatory response accelerates leukocyte turnover. Your vitamin D concentrations also decrease with age, whereas your C- reactive protein (a mediator of inflammation) increases. This inverse double- whammy increases your overall risk of developing autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. The good news is that vitamin D is a potent inhibitor of your body's inflammatory response, and by reducing inflammation, you diminish your turnover of leukocytes, effectively creating a positive chain reaction that can help protect you against a variety of diseases. In essence, it protects your body from the deterioration of aging. Researchers have found that subsets of leukocytes have receptors for the active form of vitamin D (D3), which allows the vitamin to have a direct effect on these cells. This may also explain the specific connection between vitamin D and autoimmune disease. The absolute best way to optimize your vitamin D levels would be through safe sun exposure. I am fully aware that many will not be able to implement this recommendation due to lifestyle constraints, but I feel I would be reprehensibly negligent if I did not emphasize how superior photo vitamin D is compared to oral. So for those who are able to, I have provided the following video that helps you find the times exposing your skin to the sun will actually produce vitamin D in your location. Astaxanthin (derived from the microalgae Haematococcus pluvialis)In the 2. According to the authors, telomeres are particularly vulnerable to oxidative stress. Additionally, inflammation induces oxidative stress and lowers the activity of telomerase (again, that's the enzyme responsible for maintaining your telomeres). Astaxanthin has emerged as one of the most potent and beneficial antioxidants currently known, with potent anti- inflammatory and DNA- protective capabilities. Research has even shown that it can protect against DNA damage induced by gamma radiationv. It has a number of unique features that make it stand out from the crowd. For example, it is by far the most powerful carotenoid antioxidant when it comes to free radical scavenging: astaxanthin is 6. C, 5. 4 times more powerful than beta- carotene, and 1. Evi. It's also far more effective than other carotenoids at . It is 5. 50 times more powerful than vitamin E, and 1. Astaxanthin crosses both your blood- brain barrier AND your blood- retinal barrier (beta carotene and lycopene do not), which brings antioxidant and anti- inflammatory protection to your eyes, brain and central nervous system. Another feature that separates astaxanthin from other carotenoids is that it cannot function as a pro- oxidant. Many antioxidants will act as pro- oxidants (meaning they start to cause rather than combat oxidation) when present in your tissues in sufficient concentrations. This is why you don't want to go overboard taking too manyantioxidant supplements like beta- carotene, for example. Astaxanthin, on the other hand, does not function as a pro- oxidant, even when present in high amounts, which makes it highly beneficial. Lastly, one of its most profound features is its unique ability to protect the entire cell from damage—both the water- soluble part and the fat- soluble portion of the cell. Other antioxidants affect just one or the other. This is due to astaxanthin's unique physical characteristics that allow it to reside within the cell membrane will also protecting the inside of the cell. To learn more about astaxanthin, please listen to the following interview with Dr. Robert Corish. Download Interview Transcript. Ubiquinol (Co. Q1. Coenzyme Q1. 0 (Co. Q1. 0) is the fifth most popular supplement in the United States, taken by about 5. Americans, according to a 2. Consumer. Lab. comvii. This is a good thing as one in every four Americans over 4. Co. Q1. 0 is used by every cell in your body. In fact, it is so important for your body's daily functions that it is also known as . What you may not know, however, is that to benefit from the form of the nutrient needed to produce cellular energy and help you reduce the typical signs of aging, your body must convert the ubiquinone to the reduced form, called ubiquinol - - and research is showing that this reduced form may actually be superior for your health in a number of ways. If you're under 2. Co. Q1. 0 from the oxidized to the reduced form. However, if you're older, your body becomes more and more challenged to convert the oxidized Co. Q1. 0 to ubiquinol. Premature aging is one primary side effect of having too little Co. Q1. 0 because this essential vitamin recycles other antioxidants, such as vitamin C and E. Co. Q1. 0 deficiency also accelerates DNA damage, and because Co. Q1. 0 is beneficial to heart health and muscle function this depletion leads to fatigue, muscle weakness, soreness and eventually heart failure. In a previous interview with Dr. Stephen Sinatra, he recounts an experiment from the mid- 9. The average lifespan of a rat is two years. Rats given Co. Q1. Co. Q1. 0. The supplement basically had a potent anti- aging effect, in the sense it maintained youthfulness until the very end of their life. In terms of life extension, the effect was minimal. Sinatra also conducted his own research and found that Co. Q1. 0 given to both younger and older mice resulted in increased energy and vigor. Older mice traveled through mazes quicker, they had better memory, and had more locomotor activity than those who did not get Co. Q1. 0. So Co. Q1. For more information and dosage recommendations, please see this previous Co. Q1. 0 article. Fermented Foods / Probiotics. It's quite clear that eating a diet consisting of high amounts of processed foods will shorten your life, yet 9.
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