Slow and Steady

[Guest guest]

" HSI - Jenny Thompson " <HSIResearch

 

 

Slow and Steady

Thu, 30 Sep 2004 12:33:48 -0400

 

Slow and Steady

 

Health Sciences Institute e-Alert

 

September 30, 2004

 

**************************************************************

 

 

Dear Reader,

 

A warm meal can sometimes be the most comforting thing in the

world. But some hot meals, as good as they are, may also contain a

health hazard.

 

According to a new study, what you cook and the way you cook it

may have a long-range impact on your health as you age,

especially if you're diabetic or vulnerable to heart or kidney

problems.

 

---------------------------

AGE happens

---------------------------

 

There's nothing wrong with aging. In fact, many of us who have

been doing it for some time now are rather enjoying it.

Nevertheless, there IS something wrong with AGE; also known as

advanced glycation end products.

 

AGE is the result of a phenomenon known as the " browning

reaction. " Here's how HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., described

it in the e-Alert " Prime Suspect " (4/6/04): " The browning reaction

occurs when certain carb molecules bind with proteins and cause

aging. It's also called 'glycation', 'glycosylation', and sometimes the

Maillard reaction. It changes the structure of enzymes and other

proteins, resulting in tissue and organ damage (and it's suspected in

organ damage particularly in diabetics). "

 

Unfortunately, AGE occurs all too easily when some foods are

cooked in certain ways. Researchers in the Division of

Experimental Diabetes and Aging at Mount Sinai School of

Medicine in New York City recently conducted a study to

determine the variations of AGE content of 250 common foods

when cooked by different methods.

 

The results in a nutshell:

 

* Fats tended to have a higher AGE content than carbohydrates

* The amount of AGE in all types of foods was related to cooking

temperature, length of cooking time and moisture content

* Broiling and frying created the highest levels of AGE (with the

least amount of moisture)

* Roasting and boiling created the least AGE (with greater

moisture).

* In general, lower cooking temps for longer periods of time

resulted in lower levels of AGE

* Cooked fruits and vegetables have very low AGE levels – but

those levels rise when they're heavily processed

 

---------------------------

Box scores

---------------------------

 

The Mount Sinai research, as reported in a recent issue of the

Journal of the American Dietetic Association, makes it clear that a

few alterations in the ways that foods are prepared can make a big

difference when it comes to AGE content.

 

For instance, the daily AGE average in a typical U.S. diet is about

16,000 kilounits (KU), according to the Mount Sinai team. About

half of that average daily AGE intake is contained in a single slice

of pizza. So eating two or three slices of pizza is not the best meal

choice in terms of AGE.

 

Chicken broiled for 15 minutes contains five times the AGE of

chicken boiled for an hour (about 1,000 KU). A typical fast food

hamburger contains more than twice the AGE as a

burger pan-fried at home for at least six minutes (about 2,400 KU).

And 3.5 ounces of potato chips (which is barely enough to get

most people started) has a whopping 13 times more AGE than 3.5

ounces of baked potato (just 218 KU).

 

---------------------------

Slow & low

---------------------------

 

According to Dr. Spreen and the Mount Sinai researchers, people

with diabetes may risk damage to the kidneys and the heart when

AGE intake is high. But you don't have to have diabetes to benefit

from a low AGE intake. For instance, one AGE study found that

subjects with low-AGE diets also had low levels of C-reactive

protein; the inflammation marker that's associated with an

increased risk of heart disease. And a high intake of AGE is also

believed to play a role in the development of Alzheimer's disease.

 

Someone gave me a crock pot years ago that I confess I've never

used. Now I'm thinking... Slow cooking? Low temperature? Lots

of moisture? It might be time to get that crock pot out of the attic

and put it to good use.

 

**************************************************************

 

....and another thing

 

" I was so happy to see you say something about prolotherapy in

the newsletter. So few people know about it and it can benefit so

many. "

 

That comment comes from an HSI member named Kathy who sent

an e-mail in response to the 9/10/04 " This Week in the HSI

Forum, " in which I shared some of the experiences that other

members have had using prolotherapy; a treatment for damaged

tendons and ligaments.

 

In prolotherapy, a solution of simple compounds (usually dextrose

or calcium carbonate) is injected at the point of the injury,

triggering an inflammation response that increases the blood

supply and delivers vital nutrients to promote growth of new cells

and repair damaged connective tissue. I've used this treatment

myself to successfully address nagging pains that still linger from

four car accidents.

 

In her e-mail, Kathy goes on detail her experience:

 

" I had a fall on a wet floor eight years ago, which resulted in a

great deal of back and leg (sciatic) pain. I tried several doctors,

physical therapy, four different chiropractors, acupuncture and had

only minimal results until I read about prolotherapy. I read the

book " Prolo Your Pain Away " and was convinced it would help

me.

 

" I found a Doctor in my area who did the procedure and began my

road to recovery. I have had about 12 treatments and am about

90% better. I am now back to a normal life!

 

" My husband has had TMJ (temporomandibular joint syndrome)

problems the entire 39 years we have been married. He has had

mouth splints made by two different dentists. He decided to try the

prolotherapy for the TMJ joints. It took only one treatment and he

has had no further problems. We have sent several friends and

family members to our miracle doctor. We were lucky, our

insurance covered some of the cost. But getting rid of the pain was

worth what ever the cost was. "

 

I'm not familiar with the book Kathy mentioned, but it's available

on amazon.com, and obviously Kathy found it to be useful. After

reading up on this therapy, if you want to locate a doctor near you

for consultation on prolotherapy, you can access a referral service

on the web site for the American College for Advancement in

Medicine (acam.org). And for more details about prolotherapy,

check the e-Alert " Crash Dummy " (4/2/03).

 

Prolotherapy doesn't work for everyone, but for patients like Kathy

and me it's been a welcome relief.

 

To Your Good Health,

 

Jenny Thompson

Health Sciences Institute

 

**************************************************************

 

Sources:

" Advanced Glycoxidation End Products in Commonly Consumed

Foods " Journal of the American Dietetic

Association, Vol.104, No. 8, August 2004, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

" Fight Age and Disease from Your Kitchen " Alan R. Gaby, M.D.,

Healthnotes Newswire, 9/16/04, pccnaturalmarkets.com

 

Copyright ©1997-2004 by www.hsibaltimore.com, L.L.C.

The e-Alert may not be posted on commercial sites without

written permission.