LIFE EXTENSION NEWS

Vitamin E Absorption

A glitch, the researchers say, is that vitamin E is an oil, and people are now being told to use oils very sparingly. It can be found in nuts, oily fish, some vegetables and oils such as safflower, olive and canola oil. The most common way that people get vitamin E is through rich desserts and cooking oils.

"If people are getting all the vitamin E they need through a healthy, balanced diet, that's great," Traber said. "But we really don't want to be telling people to eat more fat, and that's generally where vitamin E is found. That's why it's appealing to find an effective way of obtaining this nutrient, such as vitamin E fortification of what is essentially a low-fat food."

This controlled study was done by LPI scientists, funded by and in collaboration with the Bell Nutrition Institute of General Mills.

In it, scientists tested the results of four different types of breakfasts: a pill of 400 I.U. of vitamin E with skim milk; a serving of a wheat breakfast cereal fortified with 30 I.U. of vitamin E; a serving of wheat breakfast cereal fortified with 400 I.U. of vitamin E; and a serving of wheat breakfast cereal with a pill of 400 I.U. vitamin E taken separately.

The pill of 400 I.U. vitamin E taken with just a glass of milk, in theory should have provided more than 13 times the RDA of this nutrient. But, in fact, it raised the level of new vitamin E in the blood by only 3 percent. By comparison, the cereal fortified with 30 I.U. vitamin E raised the blood plasma level of new vitamin E five times higher than that, and the cereal fortified with 400 I.U. raised the new blood plasma level 30 times higher.

The effect of a pill of 400 I.U. taken with a serving of plain wheat cereal was inconsistent; some participants had a significant increase in blood plasma levels of vitamin E, others almost none.

"This study clearly showed that applying vitamin E onto a grain cereal provided a huge and consistent increase in its bioavailability," said Scott Leonard, an LPI research assistant who conducted the study. "Even 30 I.U., the RDA for this vitamin, produced a large increase in new blood plasma levels."

According to Traber and Leonard, this indicates that people who are taking vitamin E supplements only with liquids on an empty stomach are accomplishing nothing and getting few if any benefits from the supplements. The vitamin clearly is absorbed better if it is part of, or closely associated with the digestion of a food that has some fat in it.

Vitamin E has been explored in recent years for its potential value in prevention of heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's disease and other health concerns. The results of this study may explain in part why the other research has often yielded inconsistent results, Traber said.

"It's now clear that vitamin E must be taken in a certain way to be effective, either in a food containing vitamin E or in a supplement properly associated with a food," Traber said. "So anyone studying vitamin E for a clinical response must now be sure they are using it in a regimen that works."

It may also be time to consider the expansion of vitamin E as a routine food additive, she said.

"In our pursuit of low-fat diets, we increasingly are taking the fat out of foods but not putting the vitamin E back," Traber said.

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Walking can add years to your life, and life to your years. And it couldn’t be easier.

The Conditioner Walking conditions your heart and lungs, and raises your body’s ability to use oxygen more efficiently. In one study, women who walked briskly (3-4 miles per hour) at least three hours a week, cut their risk of heart attack and stroke by more than half.

The Protector Walking helps beat other health problems, too. It reduces your risk of cancer and some forms of osteoporosis. It fights the battle of the bulge, taking off fat and building muscle. Walking can even help people with diabetes, reduce or eliminate their need for medication.

The Joint Saver Walking can burn as many calories per mile as jogging does. But it delivers only about a quarter of the jolt, so it’s much easier on your joints and muscles.

The De-Stressor Walking is easy on your mind, too, since it lessens stress and lightens depression. Beginning walkers usually report that they feel better, sleep better and that their mental outlook improves.

The Winner Best of all, walking has the lowest dropout rate of any form of exercise. So you’re more likely to stick with it and get all these benefits and more, like better digestion, improved regularity and lower blood pressure.

There’s Nothing To It! Just put on a sturdy, comfortable pair of shoes and go. Walk to the store for the paper,park a few blocks from work, or get of the train or bus one stop early and walk from there. Use stairs instead of elevators and escalators. On bad weather days, walk in a mall or on a treadmill.

How fast should you go? That’s easy, just use the "talk test." Move at a steady clip that makes your heart beat faster and causes you to breathe more deeply-but doesn’t leave you too breathless to carry on a conversation. Greenwise

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Folklore: An apple a day keps the doctor away.

Fact: Apples can combat cancer stroke and heart disease and help lungs. New Harvard research finds 20% less heart disease in apple eaters. In test tubes, apple antioxidants slowed the growth of human cancer cells 50%. The peel has the most antioxidants.

Folklore: Fish is a brain food.

Fact: Omega 3 fats in sardines, herring salmon and tuna make brains smarter, happier and less diseased. In new research, young adults who ate fatty fish were 20% less hostile than non-eaters.Older people who ate fatty fish at least monthly had 60% lessAlzheimer’s disease than non-eaters.

Folklore: Cherries cure gout.

Fact: Eating 45 Bing cherries cut blood urate levels (a sign of gout) 15% in women says University of California, Davis, research. Other signs of inflammation (including blood C-reactive protein) also sank.

Folklore: Eggplant helps hearts.

Fact: In studies, eggplant cuts cholesterol and discourages artery clogs. Now USDA scientists find eggplant flesh is packed with a potent antioxidant, chlorogenic acid, which fights bacteria, cancer, viruses and cholesterol. Eat the skin, it has antioxidants too.

Folklore: Cranberries prevent bladder infection.

Fact: Research says drinking 1 cup of cranberry juice three times a day for a year cut repeated urinary tract infections in women up to 50%. Concentrate tablets also work, but may increase the risk of kidney stones, Stanford University researchers say. Sorry, but in existing infections, cranberries don’t appear to help much. USA WEEKEND

Like high blood pressure, internal inflammation does not exhibit any symptoms. Inflammation is produced as the result of body fat, which generates inflammatory proteins; and smoking, stress, and low grade infections like gum disease can also contribute. C-reactive protein (CRP) rises when blood vessels are inflamed, so blood levels of CRP are considered a reliable marker for inflammation and for predicting the likelihood of cardiovascular disease.

A new study in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) finds that CRP levels are significantly higher among people with macular degeneration, than those who don’t have this age-related vision problem. While some of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease are linked to macular degeneration, this investigation suggests that high levels of C-reactive protein may be an independent factor for macular degeneration---and that inflammation may be a possible cause of vision loss.

Inflammation also appears to be a culprit in colorectal cancer. Blood levels of CRP were higher among all colon and rectal cancer cases in a case control study of more than 20,000 adults in Maryland.

C-reactive protein levels fluctuate daily. Aging, alcohol use, coffee consumption, high triglycerides, hypertension, inadequate exercise, insulin resistance (and diabetes), sleep disturbances, taking estrogen, trans fats in processed foods can raise CRP levels. However, eating a whole foods diet rich in omega 3 fats, moderate wine consumption, and getting regular exercise can reduce C-reactive protein. Greenwise

Internet dieting has exploded in the last few years, attracting people who lack the time to attend meetings or don’t like to step on a scale in front of others.

One of the largest, eDiet.com has over 200,000 members. For $5 a week they receive meal plans and shopping lists and around the clock access to nutritionists and chat support rooms. Dieters are encouraged to keep a daily log of their daily food intake, and a weekly log of their weight. If they forget, a message pops up on their screen the next time they sign on.

Unlike traditional dieters whose progress is monitored by a dietician, online dieters are entrusted with keeping track of their own weight, which critics say may cause some to inflate their results.

A 2001 study by researchers at Brown University found that those who enrolled in a structured online diet program lost three times more weight in six months than those who casually surfed the web for diet information. FLORIDA TODAY

A new British review of current literature shows significant breast cancer risk from saturated fats and meat intake.

While researches found no significant relationship between overall dietary fat intake and breast cancer, women who consumed the most animal fat ( 23% of calories) from red meat and dairy products high in saturated fats had a 33% greater risk for breast cancer than those who ate the least saturated fats (12% of calories). In this study, there was no association between fat from plant or marine sources and cancer risk.

To help prevent breast cancer (and protect your heart), substitute omega-3-rich fish and plant proteins (like whey and soy) for animal fats. And whenever possible, choose certified organic foods produced without synthetic pesticides or growth hormones. Greenwise

Even though they’re natural, some supplements may cause cancer, kidney or liver damage and even death. Some are banned in Asia, Europe and Canada, but widely available here.

They are: Aristolochia- kidney failure and cancer.

Yohimbe- heart and respiratory problems.

Bitter orange-similar to ephedra which is believed responsible for 155 deaths nationwide.

Also, chaparral, comfrey, germander, kava, and skullcap, all likely causes of liver failure.

Lobelia-possible heart problems.

Pennyroyal- possible liver kidney and nerve damage. USA WEEKEND