What is the alkaline diet and why it is pseudoscience

The alkaline diet has been touted by various celebrities as a way to get healthy and prevent disease, but there is no scientific evidence to back these claims.

03 Feb 2020
Madeline Kennedy


© Stephan Boehme / EyeEm / Getty Images

• Though the diet promotes eating food that has an "alkalizing effect" on the body, the food you eat has no influence on your blood pH level.
• Cutting out as many food groups as the diet recommends can lead to nutritional deficiencies, which could have an adverse effect on your health.
• This article was reviewed by Samantha Cassetty, MS, RD, nutrition and wellness expert with a private practice based in New York City.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

The alkaline diet has become a trend among celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Aniston as a way to lose weight, boost energy, and prevent disease.

But like most things that sound too good to be true, the alkaline diet is a prime example. Experts say there is no scientific evidence behind the idea that alkaline foods are healthier than acidic ones.

"It is not based on anything besides anecdotal evidence at this time," says Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, a registered dietitian in New York City.

The alkaline diet is pseudoscience

The idea behind the alkaline diet is that the foods you eat can change your blood pH level and thus change your health.

All you have to do is avoid foods that the diet categorizes as acidic, limit neutral foods, and focus on more alkaline foods. The alkaline diet categorizes foods according to pH as follows:

• Acidic: Meat, fish, dairy, eggs, grains, alcohol
• Neutral: Natural fats, starches, sugars
• Alkaline: Fruits, nuts, legumes, vegetables

And while the foods you eat can affect the pH of your urine, this is not the same as changing your blood pH. Your blood pH level stays close to neutral at around 7.4, and you cannot shift your overall blood pH through your diet, as the alkaline diet suggests, says Beckerman.

"That's because our body is sharp and has built-in mechanisms to keep pH levels in check."

Moreover, alkaline diet proponents say that acidic foods leave behind an "acid ash" in the body, which may promote diseases like osteoporosis. Since then, several studies have shown that this assumption is not true.

The alkaline diet makes dangerous claims about cancer

In 2013, Victoria Beckham tweeted a picture of an alkaline cookbook, setting off a widespread diet trend that ended up influencing scores of celebrities including Kate Hudson, Gweneth Paltrow, and Tom Brady.

The founder of the alkaline diet, Robert Young, made the false claim that the diet aids in cancer treatment. As a result, some cancer patients have turned to the alkaline diet for treatment and found no relief.

In some cases, a strict alkaline diet only caused muscle-loss and back pain. Young was later sued and arrested for practicing medicine without a license.

Moreover, the American Institute for Cancer Research also rejects claims that eating acidic foods can lower the body's pH and promote cancer.

Just about the only health condition that an alkaline diet might help is kidney stones. Throughout the 20th century, researchers conducted numerous studies on pH levels in food and their effect on the kidneys. They discovered that eating more alkaline foods can help prevent kidney stones.

The alkaline diet can lead to nutritional deficiencies

Any time you cut food groups out of your diet, you need to be cautious, Beckerman says. "It could be setting you up for nutritional deficiencies if you don't prioritize your food choices."

For example, the alkaline diet cuts out some healthy food options such as eggs and fish while encouraging followers to adhere to strict diet rules. Without careful planning, an alkaline diet can cause muscle loss from a lack of protein and improper nutrition overall.

However, there is anecdotal evidence that the diet has helped people lose weight, stay healthy, and feel better. But this has nothing to do with consuming alkaline foods and everything to do with switching to the plant-based and whole-food options that the diet promotes.

If healthy, plant-based eating is your goal, there are other diets out there with the science to back their health benefits, like vegetarianism or veganism.

Related stories about diet and nutrition:

• Why you may not be losing weight on the keto diet
• What is resistant starch and why it's healthier than simple starch
• What the different types of carbs are and how they can affect your health
• What is the Paleo diet and whether it helps you lose weight
• Does intermittent fasting work? Research doesn't have a definite answer for its long-term effects

https://www.msn.com/en-my/health/nutrition/what-is-the-alkaline-diet-and-why-it-is-pseudoscience/ar-BBZAnG3?ocid=ientp

What is bradycardia? How to know if your heart rate is too low

Bradycardia, or a heart rate that is too slow, can be a serious condition, especially if the heart is not pumping enough oxygen-rich blood throughout the body.

 Sara Lindberg 11 hrs ago 30 Jan 2020

Here's what medical experts consider to be a low heart rate, how to know if you have bradycardia and the most common ways to treat it.

© Boonchai Wedmakawand/Getty Images

What is bradycardia?

A normal resting heart rate for an adult is 60 to 100 beats per minute (bpm), but someone with bradycardia will have a resting heart rate lower than 50 to 60 bpm.

According to Srikant Duggirala, MD, a cardiologist with Emanate Health, bradycardia means that electrical signals to the heart slow down or are blocked. For some people, such as endurance athletes, a low resting heart rate is common and typically not a concern. In fact, elite athletes may have a resting heart rate as low as 40 bpm.

Exercise training-induced bradycardia may be due to electrical remodelling of the sinus node, resulting in a lower heart rate and an increase in heart rate variability. This is a healthy response to the heart's ability to pump blood more efficiently, which means your heart can beat less, and your body can still get what it needs.

© Getty Bradycardia.But for others, it is a condition that should be supervised by a doctor. If bradycardia is not caused by exercise, a low heart rate means that your heart - which isn't as efficient as a highly-trained athlete - is not pumping enough oxygen-rich blood in the body. When this happens, you may feel chest pain, light-headedness, and shortness of breath.

Suzanne Steinbaum, a cardiologist at Mount Sinai Hospital, says that other symptoms of bradycardia can include dizziness, confusion, fatigue, or fainting. If you are experiencing these symptoms, and have a resting heart rate lower than 50 bpm, it's critical to see your doctor for an accurate diagnosis.

What causes a low heart rate?

While anyone can experience bradycardia, these factors may increase your risk:

• Age: Bradycardia is more common in older adults, specifically those who have damage to their heart from heart disease, says Duggirala. Older adults are more likely to have heart rhythm disorders because of age-related changes in the cardiovascular system, which are also associated with a higher prevalence of heart disease.
• Lifestyle factors: Tobacco abuse, substance abuse, high blood pressure, stress, and anxiety can also predispose patients (especially older ones) to heart disease, and consequently, bradycardia.
• Health conditions: Bradycardia can be associated with damage to the heart, such as a heart attack, heart disease, or congenital heart defects. Hypothyroidism - insufficient thyroid hormone - and sleep apnea can also contribute to a lower than normal heart rate.
• Medication: Additionally, Duggirala says medications prescribed for high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, and heart failure - such as beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers - can cause a low heart rate.

Treating bradycardia

© Getty Heart rate monitor.The first step in finding treatment is getting diagnosed, which requires a visit to the doctor. The doctor will measure your heart rate with an electrocardiogram, or EKG/ECG. But if nothing comes up during your visit - possibly because you have a minor case of bradycardia that only occurs occasionally - the doctor may give you a portable EKG to take with you.

Another handy gadget may be activity tracking features on devices like the Apple Watch. These devices can help track your heart rate 24/7 over many months and years, so it's easier to detect if and when you have bouts of bradycardia.

After you've been diagnosed, treatment depends on the severity of your condition. Steinbaum says borderline or occasional bradycardia may not require medical intervention, and if there are no symptoms, it can be generally monitored. But if you have chronic or persistent bradycardia, she says your doctor may treat it in a few ways.

"If medication side effects are causing the slow heart rate, then the medication regimen can be adjusted or discontinued," says Steinbaum. "Also, a pacemaker can regulate the heart's rhythm, speeding up the heart rate as needed."

Additionally, Duggirala says if hypothyroidism or sleep apnea is causing bradycardia, treatment of the underlying disorder will often help.

https://www.msn.com/en-my/health/medical/what-is-bradycardia-how-to-know-if-your-heart-rate-is-too-low/ar-BBZsmLI?ocid=ientp

Is this why the Japanese live longer?

Middle-aged adults who regularly eat miso paste added to sushi and soups are 10% less likely to die young, study finds

Vanessa Chalmers

4 hrs ago 30 Jan 2020

Middle-aged adults who regularly eat miso paste added to sushi and soup may add years to life, according to Japanese researchers.

Almost 100,000 people in Japan were quizzed about their diet and then tracked for 15 years. 

Those who ate trendy fermented soy products - such as miso and natto - were 10 per cent less likely to die an early death.  

The researchers say this is likely to be because these products are high in beneficial compounds which help keep cholesterol stable, for example.  

Soy products in general, such as vegan favourite tofu, did not have an effect on mortality. 

Miso, which means 'fermented beans', is a paste added to sushi, soups and salad dressings. Natto is a dish consisting of fermented soybeans which are sticky and stringy.

Recently, soy has been increasing in popularity particularly among vegetarians in Western societies who are searching for protein sources. 

© Getty Miso paste.But Asian populations have typically eaten soy since ancient times. 

People in Japan - who typically live up to 84 years in comparison to the UK's 81 years - often begin their day with a hot bowl of miso soup to kick start their digestion.

The team led by National Cancer Centre, Japan investigated links between several types of soy products and death from any cause and from cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and injury. 

Data on 42,750 men and 50,165 women aged 45-74 years was collected from a study based in 11 of Japan's public health centre areas.

What else do the Japanese eat to boost life expectancy?

It’s widely known that the Japanese live long and healthy lives and experts believe it's down to their immaculate diet.

1. Fish 

© Getty Fish.

Fish are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, responsible for maintaining a healthy heart. But not only do they keep the blood flowing, but they also benefit the brain, eyes and reduce inflammation. Fish are rich in selenium, which is vital for our antioxidant defences and immune system, and B vitamins that help to keep our brain chemistry in balance.

2. Seaweed

© Getty Seaweed.

Seaweed is rich in minerals, including iodine, zinc, magnesium, calcium, potassium and dozens of other trace minerals we need for our immune system, antioxidant defences and heart health.

3. Matcha tea

© Getty Matcha tea.

Matcha is a traditional powdered green tea made from the fresh leaf tips of the tea plant. Green tea – matcha in particular – is high in a specific type of flavanols called catechins. These substances are thought to boost our body’s antioxidant defences. 

 4. Pickled vegetables

© Getty Pickled vegetables.

Traditionally fermented pickled vegetables are a great source of natural probiotics. They can favour digestive health, help to digest and absorb the nutrients in the food we eat, which then benefits all areas of our health.

Participants filled in detailed questionnaires about their dietary habits, lifestyle, and health status, according to the findings published their findings in the British Medical Journal today.

Deaths were identified from residential registries and death certificates over a follow-up period of nearly 15 years.

The researchers found that a higher intake of fermented soy was linked to a significantly lower risk of all cause mortality at 10 per cent.

Total soy intake, including products like tofu, soy milk, okara, did not affect mortality.

5. Natto

© Getty Natto.

People who ate natto also had a lower risk of death from cardiovascular diseases, such as heart disease, than those who did not eat natto.

Natto is a traditional Japanese food made by fermenting soybeans with a fungus called bacillus subtilis natto.

No links were found between soy intake and cancer-related deaths.  

Results persisted even after further adjusting for the intake of vegetables, which was higher among those consuming larger portions of natto.

The authors point out that fermented soy products are richer in fibre, potassium and bioactive components such as isoflavone than their non-fermented counterparts.

Soy fibre has been shown to reduce cholesterol and keep weight stable, while isoflavone compounds may reduce blood pressure. 

However further research could investigate the exact mechanisms on the body.

In a linked editorial, experts said evidence such as this is increasingly suggesting that fermented soy products have health benefits. 

© Getty Natto snack.Kayo Kurotani and Hidemi Takimoto, of National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, Tokyo, wrote: 'Increasing evidence has suggested that fermented soy products are associated with health benefits. 

'Whether people eat those products depends on their food culture, but some countries already include soy and fermented soy products in their dietary guidelines.'

This is an observational study, so can't establish cause, and the researchers cannot rule out the possibility that some of the observed risk may be due to other unmeasured factors

For example, miso soup contained a high amount of salt in 1995 and 1998, when the surveys were conducted, before salt reduction measures came into place.

It could be that fermented miso is protecting those in the study from the health risks of salt.

https://www.msn.com/en-my/health/nutrition/is-this-why-the-japanese-live-longer-middle-aged-adults-who-regularly-eat-miso-paste-added-to-sushi-and-soups-are-10percent-less-likely-to-die-young-study-finds/ar-BBZsVRI?ocid=ientp

5 Types of Butter to Keep in Your Kitchen

What’s more country than butter? Whether you slathering it on your favorite pancake recipe or stirring into pasta, this rich, flavorful fat really goes with everything.



Charlyne Mattox

6/1/2020

© Mizina Learn about the different types of butter, including clarified butter, cultured butter, and ghee. and all the right dishes for certain butters.

In the Country Living test kitchen, we call exclusively for unsalted butter in recipes (more on why below). You can substitute salted for unsalted butter in recipes, but know that you will need to reduce the amount of added salt in baking recipes.

Below is a quick breakdown of a few different types of butter and where you may want to use them.

Unsalted Butter vs. Salted Butter

The name says it all: Unsalted butter is simply butter that does not have any added salt. With salted butter, during the churning process, once the salt and buttermilk have separated, salt is added, and the butter is churned until the salt dissolves and is evenly distributed.

The amount of salt added will vary by brand. This is one reason that we call for unsalted butter in the Country Living recipes. For example, Kerry Gold salted butter has about half the amount of salt as Land O’Lakes salted offering. If you added equal amounts of Kerry Gold versus Land O’Lakes to a baking recipe, you run the risk of it being too salty. Calling for unsalted and the exact amount of kosher salt guarantees consistent results.

Additionally, because of the lack of salt—which acts as a preservative—unsalted butter has a shorter shelf life, so it tends to be fresher. Unsalted butter will last about one month in the fridge while salted will last around two.

© Westend61 - Getty Images types of butter

Cultured Butter

Originally made from cream that had been allowed to sour, modern (a.k.a. commercially made) cultured butter (sometimes labeled "European-style butter") is created by adding live bacterial cultures to pasteurized cream before churning. The cream is then allowed to rest and thicken slightly before churning.

Cultured butter has a higher fat content (82%-86% vs. 80% for uncultured) and a slightly tangy flavor that has hints of hazelnut. The higher fat content makes the butter smoother and gives it a richer taste, making it perfect for spreading on a piece of bread straight from the oven.

© marekuliasz - Getty Images types of butter

Clarified Butter

Clarifying butter is the process of removing the water and milk solids from butter, leaving you with almost 100% butterfat. Clarified butter has a much higher smoke point than common stick butter, so it’s great for searing meats or vegetables. Because the milk solids have been removed it also has a much longer shelf life, lasting between three to six months in the fridge. To make clarified butter, start by melting a stick, or sticks, of unsalted butter in a saucepan. The butter will start to foam and sputter. Once the sputtering stops, and no more foam is rising to the top, remove it from the heat and skim off the white milk solids (save those milk solids to drizzle over popcorn). Next, strain the butter through a fine mesh sieve lined with a coffee filter or several layers of cheese cloth to remove any straggler solids.

Ghee

This is a similar product to clarified butter, but rather than stopping cooking when the butter is no longer sputtering, it is cooked until milk solids start to brown and fall to the bottom of the pan. The mixture is then strained, as with clarified butter, removing the milk solids. Because of the additional cooking time, ghee is shelf stable and can last months in the pantry in an airtight container. A common ingredient in Indian cooking, try it when you whip up your next batch of curry or saag paneer.

https://www.msn.com/en-my/foodanddrink/foodnews/5-types-of-butter-to-keep-in-your-kitchen/ar-BBYG8La

MSG - McDonald's New Secret Ingredient in the Chicken Sandwich Wars

In McDonald’s push to make a fried-chicken sandwich that better competes with Chick-fil-A, it picked up something extra in the recipe: MSG, the flavor enhancer that has both fans and foes.

Leslie Patton / Bloomberg

14 Jan 2020

 11 hrs ago 

© Rafael Henrique–SOPA Images/LightRocket/ Getty Images McDonald's

The world’s biggest restaurant chain is currently testing chicken sandwiches with monosodium glutamate, an ingredient that adds a savory taste but has also drawn health concerns from consumers. The additive is popping up beyond the new sandwich undergoing trials in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Houston, as well as appearing at other locations in tests of sausage, soup bases and different crispy-chicken fillets.

Chicken is a big deal in fast food. Americans eat more of it each year than any other meat, and consumption is growing. McDonald’s for years has also tried to make a fried-chicken sandwich to rival Chick-fil-A, the Atlanta chain with a cult following. Chick-fil-A also uses MSG in its classic chicken sandwich among other menu items, as does Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, which last summer introduced a sandwich that sold out amid a social media frenzy.

“We are always listening to our customers regarding our menu offerings,” a spokeswoman for McDonald’s said in response to questions about its addition of MSG. Feedback and insights from the test will inform its future decisions, she said.

A representative for Chick-fil-A declined to comment while representatives at Popeyes didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Positive Response

MSG is a flavor enhancer that’s been used for decades after commercial production started in the early 20th century. It’s now commonly associated with takeout food and processed soups and meats. While the ingredient is generally safe, according to the Food and Drug Administration, its use is controversial and some people complain of bad side effects including headache, numbness and heart palpitations.

McDonald’s does not use MSG in products on its national menu currently and lists ingredients in its national menu on its website, according to the company.

McDonald’s customers in Houston and Knoxville have responded positively to the testing of its Crispy Chicken Sandwich and Deluxe Crispy Chicken sandwich, offered at more than 230 stores, according to the spokeswoman. The trial will continue for a few more weeks. It’s also testing a Portuguese sausage and a soup base with added MSG in select locations in Hawaii, as well as more crispy chicken fillets in Augusta, Georgia, and Seattle.

“We use real, quality ingredients to elevate the taste of our food so our customers all over the world can enjoy,” McDonald’s chief nutritionist Cindy Goody said in a statement. “We’re passionate about our food and take great care to offer delicious, quality menu options to our customers that are produced and sourced in a responsible way.”

In the past four years, the Chicago-based company has tried to clean up its ingredients including removing artificial preservatives from its chicken nuggets. It’s also moving its U.S. egg supply to cage free.

–With assistance from Lisa Wolfson.

https://www.msn.com/en-my/foodanddrink/foodnews/mcdonalds-has-a-new-secret-ingredient-in-the-chicken-sandwich-wars-msg/ar-BBYW7nX