Health & Nutrition | Renegade Neurologist

Our Site Network	Dr. Perlmutter »	Renegade Neurologist »	Perlmutter Health Center »

Binge on broccoli to boost the brain

August 24th, 2010

Eating certain fruit and vegetables could boost the memory, particularly broccoli, according to British research.

The study conducted by King’s College London,provides scientific backing to the theory and has major implications for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society said.

Extracts found in five fruits and vegetables —broccoli, potatoes, oranges, apples and radishes — were found to contain substances that act in the same way as drugs used to treat the disease. Broccoli had the most.

Alzheimer’s, for which there is no cure, is the most common form of dementia among older people.

It seriously affects their ability to carry out daily activities, impairing parts of the brain that control thought, memory and language. Most of the drugs used to treat the disease act as inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase, the enzyme responsible for the breakdown of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.

It has been previously suggested that some common vegetables might have anti-acetylcholinesterase activity, but no detailed investigation has ever been carried out. The King’s College London research confirms this activity in all five of the fruit and vegetables.

Broccoli was found to have the most potent activity and was taken forward for further tests to identify the agent responsible.

These were found to be glucosinolates, a group of compounds found throughout the cabbage family. “As yet, it is unproven that eating broccoli, for instance, would have a beneficial effect on Alzheimer’s disease.

“As yet, it is unproven that eating broccoli, for instance, would have a beneficial effect on Alzheimer’s disease,” said professor Peter Houghton, from King’s College London.

“But the long-term effects of regularly consuming these compounds in vegetables belonging to the brassicaceae might certainly be beneficial in reducing a decline in acetylcholine levels in the central nervous system.”

ADHD and Obesity: Is There a Link?

August 13th, 2010

From HealthCentral.com:

There are many behaviors seen in children and adults with ADHD that just make sense, when you consider that the core symptoms are, among other things, inattention, impulsivity, distractibility and more. People with ADHD typically are sensory seeking, even though it may not always look that way, especially if the individual has the inattentive sub-type.

For example, many who are impulsive might find themselves having problems in the area of high risk behaviors, such as brief but many sexual encounters, over-spending, and gambling.

A hyperactive individual might get involved in dangerous activities like car racing. Or they might have an exercise addiction.

An inattentive person’s need for stimuli might be harder to see, but usually it’s there. It might be seen in the areas of internet, TV or even video game addiction.

Those who study ADHD and addictions have begun to look at the connection between eating disorders and ADHD and lately and more specifically, ADHD and obesity. For many, eating can be either stimulating or sedating…or even both.

There have been a few studies in recent years showing a correlation between obesity in children/adolescents and having ADHD. However, there has been little research on the possible link between ADHD and obesity in adults.

A new study, recently published in the journal Eating and Weight Disorders, explored why some adults have difficulty staying on weight loss programs. The researchers at the Centre of Addiction and Mental Health and the University of Toronto (Canada) administered ADHD tests to 75 women who had been referred to an obesity clinic. The average age of the women was 40 and the average Body Mass Index (BMI) was 43, which is considered to be in the severely obese range.
The ADHD tests included self-reports of retrospective childhood symptoms and a rating of current ADHD symptoms.

Their findings were interesting. Compared to the general population, the researchers found that 26.6% of the obese subjects were classified as having ADHD, whereas in the general population, 3-5% of adults are known to have ADHD. The researchers found the statistics significant.
Researchers J.P. Fleming and colleagues wrote: “While the current study does not allow us to ascertain the cause of the deficit, it is striking that a very high percentage of this sample of severely obese women report very substantial problems with the set of symptoms that we classify as reflecting ADHD.”

What prompted the study was an observation that a significant number of obese clients had tremendous difficulty keeping accurate records of their diet planning- planning and preparing their meals- as well as eating and exercising regularly. These observations prompted the team to research the reasons behind this, thus the discovery of the ADHD/obesity connection.

The researchers noted that, “while the current study does not allow us to ascertain the cause of the deficit, it is striking that a very high percentage of this sample of severely obese women report very substantial problems with the set of symptoms that we classify as reflecting ADHD.”

Broccoli sprouts may reduce asthma: Study

December 19th, 2009

From Nutraingredients-USA.com

A naturally occurring compound in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables may help protect against asthma and other conditions due to respiratory inflammation, says a new study.
Consumption of broccoli sprouts led to a two- to three-fold increase in levels of antioxidant enzymes linked to the protection of human airways against oxidative tissue damage, which leads to inflammation and respiratory conditions like asthma, according to findings published in Clinical Immunology.

“This is one of the first studies showing that broccoli sprouts – a readily available food source – offered potent biologic effects in stimulating an antioxidant response in humans,” said lead researcher Marc Riedl from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

The tissue of cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts, contain high levels of the active plant chemicals glucosinolates. These are metabolised by the body into isothiocyanates, which are known to be powerful anti-carcinogens. The main isothiocyanate from broccoli is sulphoraphane.

“We found a two- to three-fold increase in antioxidant enzymes in the nasal airway cells of study participants who had eaten a preparation of broccoli sprouts,” said Riedl. “This strategy may offer protection against inflammatory processes and could lead to potential treatments for a variety of respiratory conditions.”

The study extends out understanding of the potential health benefits of broccoli, with previous studies reporting that the isothiocyanates exert powerful anti-carcinogenic activity.

Listen to your mother! Eat your broccoli!

Riedl and his co-workers recruited 65 people and assigned them to receive varying oral doses of sulforaphane-containing broccoli sprouts or non-sulforaphane-containing alfalfa sprouts for three days. Rinses of nasal passages were collected at before and after the study and used to quantify gene expression of antioxidant enzymes, including glutathione-s-transferase M1 (GSTM1), glutathione-s-transferase P1 (GSTP1), NADPH quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1), and hemoxygenase-1 (HO-1), in cells of the upper airways.

No adverse effects were reported by the subjects, while the nasal rinses showed significant and dose-dependent induction of the antioxidant enzymes at broccoli sprout doses of 100 grams and higher, compared with the alfalfa placebo group.

Indeed, at a broccoli sprout dose of 200 grams (the maximum tested) a 101-per cent increase of GSTP1 and a 199-per cent increase of NQO1 were reported.

“A major advantage of sulforaphane is that it appears to increase a broad array of antioxidant enzymes, which may help the compound’s effectiveness in blocking the harmful effects of air pollution,” said Riedl.

The results of the study provide “vital information for planning additional clinical trials”, said the researchers. In particular, they noted that future human studies are necessary to “thoroughly investigate the potential beneficial effects of Phase II enzyme induction on environmentally-induced oxidative stress and associated allergic airway inflammation”.

Breakfast Cereal: The Marketing of Sugar

December 14th, 2009

From HealthNews.com:

It’s not often you see an advertisement for Shredded Wheat, All Bran, or low-sugar organic cereals. What you do see, in a very repetitive and aggressive way, are ads for high-sugar, low-fiber content cereals. You know, Trix (Trix are for kids!), Lucky Charms (they’re magically delicious), Corn Pops, and Cap’n Crunch (one of my childhood favorites).

Those Saturday morning cartoons may entertain the kids and even delight a few adults but they also offer up unhealthy choices in the form of commercials. A new study, conducted by the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University, shows that cereals marketed to our children have 85 percent more sugar, 65 percent less fiber, and 60 percent more sodium, not to mention the additional unnecessary calories that they add to the breakfast bowl.

The study, released over the weekend, provides a wealth of information on both the content and marketing of cereals in this country. Using a nutrient profile system and reviewing marketing data for the popular cereal brands, researchers found that the average preschooler sees 642 cereal ads per year on television. Eleven of the thirteen cereals advertised most to children on television are also marketed heavily on the internet, with not one of them qualifying for inclusion in the USDA WIC Program. (For more information on this report, you can go to CerealFacts.org.)

The Top 10 advertised cereals to children with the poorest nutrition content were: Reese’s Puffs, Corn Pops, Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cap’n Crunch, Trix, Froot Loops, Fruity and Cocoa Pebbles, Cocoa Puffs, and Cookie Crisp.

Of course the food companies are fighting back. General Mills spokeswoman Heidi Geller says kids who eat cereal more frequently, including pre-sweetened cereals, “tend to weigh less than kids who eat cereal less frequently — and they are better nourished.” Given that General Mills has the highest number of brands marketed directly to children (8) and the highest amount of money spent on marketing those cereals ($107 million per year), it’s not surprising that they are trying to spin this in a positive light.

Look for cereals that have 10 grams or less of sugar per serving and look at the serving size, which varies. Cereal bowls, when filled, tend to be twice what the average serving size is (3/4 to 1 cup), meaning that your child is getting twice the amount of sugar than you intended. And many go back for seconds, compounding the issue.

GoodGuides provides the world’s largest and most reliable source of information on the health, environmental, and social impacts of the products in your home. It has a good cereal ranking system, and also allows you to filter by the following topics:
Environmentally Friendly
Organic
Low In Sugar
Low In Sodium
Low In Cholesterol
Low In Saturated Fat
The Top 12 ranked cereals on GoodGuides are:

Nature’s Path Puffed Millet, Organic
Barbara’s Bakery, Cereal Shredded Wheat
Vita Spelt Flakes
Food For Life Ezekiel Cereal, Original, Organic
Arrowhead Mills Puffed Wheat
Grape-nuts, Flakes Cereal
Post Spoon Size Shredded Wheat Cereal
Honey Bunches Of Oats, Cinnamon Clusters Cereal
Cheerios, MultiGrain
Wheaties
Total
Chex Corn
For healthy alternatives to the morning bowl of cereal, check out my recent column on Back-to-School Breakfasts.

Turmeric Fights Body Fat

December 13th, 2009

From NaturalNews.com:

A diet high in turmeric may help reduce weight gain by suppressing the growth of new fat tissue, according to a study conducted by researchers from Tufts University and published in the Journal of Nutrition.

The study was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and a grant from the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan.

“Weight gain is the result of the growth and expansion of fat tissue, which cannot happen unless new blood vessels form, a process known as angiogenesis,” senior author Mohsen Meydani said. “Based on our data, curcumin appears to suppress angiogenic activity in the fat tissue of mice fed high fat diets.”

Curcumin is an antioxidant chemical in the polyphenol family that naturally occurs in turmeric. In contrast to some phytochemicals, it is easily absorbed by the body.

Researchers fed two groups of mice identical high-fat diets, supplementing the diets of the half the mice with 500 milligrams of curcumin per kilogram of body weight per day. They found that mice in the curcumin group had significantly lower blood cholesterol and significantly less microvessel density in fat tissue than the mice in the control group, implying less blood vessel growth and thus less overall growth of fat tissue. The livers of mice in the curcumin group also contained significantly less fat than those of the mice in the control group.

“In general, angiogenesis and an accumulation of lipids in fat cells contribute to fat tissue growth,” Meydani said.

The researcher also noted that “curcumin appeared to be responsible for total lower body fat in the group that received supplementation.”

In a similar study conducted on cells rather than animals, the researchers also found curcumin to suppress angiogenesis. The chemical also appeared to suppress the expression of two genes linked to angiogenesis in both the mouse and cell experiments.