Semaglutide, known by its brand name Wegovy, has become a popular weight loss tool. Here’s how it works, and the risks to know about
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| Wegovy has been predicted to make £20 billion in peak sales, which would make it the most successful drug in history CREDIT: Getty |
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/diet/weight-loss/wegovy-side-effects-benefits/
Eating more meals like ice cream, frozen pizzas and fizzy drinks raises stroke risk by up to 8 per cent
Eating lots of crisps, biscuits and fizzy drinks could lead to a higher risk of memory problems and stroke, according to a new study.
Experts have discovered that there may be a link between a diet high in ultra-processed foods and the likelihood of cognitive decline and life-threatening medical conditions.
These foods are usually high in added sugar, fat and salt, and low in protein and fibre.
They also include the likes of ice cream, burgers, ketchup, mayonnaise, packaged bread and flavoured cereal.
The Nova system, developed by scientists in Brazil more than a decade ago, splits food into four groups based on the amount of processing it has gone through. Unprocessed foods include fruit, vegetables, nuts, eggs and meat. Processed culinary ingredients — which are usually not eaten alone — include oils, butter, sugar and salt
Food experts say some UPFs can be 'part of a healthy diet'. Baked beans, fish fingers and wholemeal bread all make the cut, according to the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF). Tomato-based pasta sauces, wholegrain breakfast cereals and fruit yoghurts are also 'healthier processed foods', the charity says
Unprocessed — or minimally processed — food, on the other hand, include meats such as simple cuts of beef, pork and chicken, and fruit and vegetables.
A team from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston analysed 30,239 people aged 45 or older who were followed for an average of 11 years.
Participants filled out questionnaires about what they ate and drank, allowing the researchers to determine how much ultra-processed food each person ate on average per day.
That percentage was then calculated into four groups, ranging from the least processed foods to the most processed foods.
By the end of the study, 768 people were diagnosed with cognitive impairment and 1,108 people had a stroke.
Analysis revealed that a 10 per cent increase in the amount of ultra-processed foods eaten was linked to a 16 per cent higher risk of being diagnosed with cognitive impairment.
However, eating more unprocessed foods was linked with a 12 per cent lower risk of cognitive impairment.
Meanwhile, a greater intake of ultra-processed foods was linked to an 8 per cent increased risk of stroke.
A greater intake of less-processed foods was linked to a 9 per cent decreased risk of stroke.
Study author Dr William Kimberley said: 'While a healthy diet is important in maintaining brain health among older adults, the most important dietary choices for your brain remain unclear.
'We found that increased consumption of ultra-processed foods was associated with a higher risk of both stroke and cognitive impairment.
'Our findings show that the degree of food processing plays an important role in overall brain health.
'More research is needed to confirm these results and to better understand which food or processing components contribute most to these effects.'
The findings were published in the journal Neurology.
A separate study, published earlier this year, suggested that ultra-processed meat such as chicken nuggets and hot dogs can raise the risk of an early death by 13 per cent.
Researchers at Harvard University who tracked the diets of more than 114,000 middle-aged nurses and health professionals in the United States for three decades found a link between the consumption of mass-produced foods and the risk of dying early.
Diets high in ready-made processed meat and fish products appeared to be the most harmful, increasing the risk of early death by 13 per cent.
This category includes items such as shop-bought sausages, burgers, fish fingers, chicken nuggets and turkey twizzlers.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-13448231/Fresh-ultra-processed-food-warning-Eating-meals-like-ice-cream-frozen-pizzas-fizzy-drinks-raises-stroke-risk-8-cent.html
Ultraprocessed foods boost cancer risk; CoQ10 improves liver enzyme levels; glucosamine reduces risk of vascular dementia; higher B12 levels linked to lower inflammation.
Scientifically reviewed by Amanda Martin, DC, in March 2024.
A review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials concluded that coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) was significantly associated with better, reduced levels of the liver enzymes: alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT).* These enzymes are often elevated in people with liver disorders.
The researchers analyzed the find- ings of 15 randomized, controlled trials that administered CoQ10 and reported changes in liver enzymes.
Participants included a total of 712 men and women with conditions such as coronary heart disease, type I or type II diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease or elevated lipids.
CoQ10 supplemented participants had beneficial reductions in elevated liver enzymes.
Editor’s Note: Coenzyme Q10 doses ranged from 100 to 400 mg per day consumed for two to 24 weeks.
* Food Sci Nutr. 2023 Jun 7;11(9):4912-4925.
Researchers uncovered a link between higher serum vitamin B12 levels and lower levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), which increase during inflammation.*
The study utilized data from a sub- group of 136 participants in the PREDIMED trial who had available data concerning their serum con- centrations of vitamin B12 and CRP, and plasma IL-6. The PREDIMED trial was designed to evaluate the relationship between consuming a Mediterranean diet and cardiovas- cular disease prevention.
Men and women who had higher vitamin B12 levels had lower con- centrations of CRP and IL-6. Similar findings were obtained when the researchers measured these factors in aged mice.
Editor's Note: "Since chronic inflammation is associated with a wide range of diseases, understanding how vitamin B12 status influ- ences inflammation could have significant implications for disease prevention and management," the authors noted.
* J Sci Food Agric. 2024 Jan 30;104(2): 875-882.
People with osteoarthritis who used glucosamine, a compound that supports joint health, were also at reduced risk of developing vascu- lar dementia, according to a study published in Alzheimer’s Research and Therapy.*
Participants included 214,945 men and women in the UK Biobank, over the age of 60, who did not have dementia at baseline. Their question- naire responses provided informa- tion concerning regularly consumed nutrients. During a median 12-year follow-up, 1,039 individuals developed vascular dementia, 1,774 developed Alzheimer’s disease and 122 developed frontotemporal dementia.
Habitual use of glucosamine was associated with an 18% lower risk of vascular dementia compared with non-use. People who additionally consumed calcium had a 54% lower risk of vascular dementia than those who did not use glucosamine. No association was observed between glucosamine and the development of Alzheimer’s disease or frontotemporal dementia.
Editor’s Note: “If further confirmed, habitual glucosamine use may act as a dietary supplement for primary prevention of vascular dementia in the elderly,” the authors stated.
* Alzheimers Res Ther. 2023 Sep 9;15(1):152.
Consuming ultraprocessed food increases the risk of cancers of the upper digestive tract, which includes mouth, throat, and esophageal cancers, according to a study published recently in the European Journal of Nutrition1 and reported on by CNN and other news media.
Ultraprocessed foods include soda, chips, instant soups, cookies, ice cream, cereal bars, and many others that include ingredients you wouldn’t use in a regular kitchen.
These additives are designed to resist mold and bacteria and to keep ingredients from separating. They also include bulking and bleaching agents, artificial dyes, or added salt and sugar to make the product more appealing.
Participants included 450,111 adults in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. They were recruited from 1992 to 1999 from 10 different European countries and the United Kingdom.
Results showed that people who consumed just 10% more ultra- processed foods than others in the study had a:
These data were collected in the 1990s, when consumption of ultra-processed food was much lower than it is now, and so the link to health risks is even higher today.
Indeed, as of 2019, ultraprocessed food made up approximately 71% of the food supply in the United States.2
Many studies over the past two years have demonstrated the alarm- ing link between ultraprocessed foods and cancer and other serious health problems. Here are a few examples of the findings:
In the most recent study, researchers dug deeper to determine if excess weight accounted for the increased cancer risk.
Ultraprocessed foods are calorie dense and can contribute to obesity, and being obese or overweight is connected to an increased risk of 13 different types of cancer.
However, results showed that weight alone did not account for the increased cancer risk. Increased hip-to-weight ratio accounted for 5% of the 23% increased risk of head and neck cancer.
And increased body mass index (BMI) accounted for 13% of the 24% increased risk of esophageal cancer.
This indicates that factors other than obesity contribute to the increased cancer risk.
Editor’s Note: According to a large number of recent studies, ultraprocessed foods are associated with an increased risk of cancer, heart disease, dementia, and more.
https://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2024/3/coq10-linked-to-better-liver-enzyme-levels-in-the-news
