Keep Blood Sugar Under Control

Carl Lowe | Dec 28, 2013

Can’t resist starchy foods and desserts this holiday season? Research at Penn State demonstrates a tasty way to keep rising blood sugar from harming your body.

The answer these scientists came up with: Drink green tea with a starchy food.

Lab experiments show that a powerful green tea antioxidant, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, (EGCG) limits blood sugar spikes when you consume carbohydrates.

“The spike in blood glucose level is about 50 percent lower than the increase in the blood glucose level of (lab animals) that were not fed EGCG,” says researcher Joshua Lambert. “If what you are eating with your tea has starch in it then you might see that beneficial effect. So, for example, if you have green tea with your bagel for breakfast, it may reduce the spike in blood glucose levels that you would normally get from that food.”

An enzyme called alpha-amylase made in the mouth and by the pancreas helps break down starch into maltose and glucose. EGCG may inhibit the enzymes ability to break down the starch, the researchers believe, since they also found that EGCG reduced the activity of alpha amylase in the pancreas by 34 percent.

But leave the sugar out of your green tea: “That may mean that if you add sugar into your green tea, that might negate the effect that the green tea will have on limiting the rise in blood glucose level,” Lambert warns.

Lambert added that the green tea and the starch would need to be consumed at the same time. For example, drinking a cup of tea well after eating a piece of toast would probably not change the blood sugar spike.

http://easyhealthoptions.com/diabetes-and-metabolic/keep-blood-sugar-under-control/

Stop Starch-Induced Glucose Surges - MUST READ

Life Extension Magazine July 2013

 

By Scott Rackinow

 

 

About 35 years ago, the federal government revised their dietary guidelines to advise Americans to increase the amount of carbohydrates they consume to around 60% of their daily food intake. The objective was to achieve a healthier lifestyle.¹

 

The latest guidelines from the Institute of Medicine recommend a daily carbohydrate intake of up to 65% of daily food intake.²

 

The catastrophic result has been an epidemic of life-threatening obesity, type II diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and other diseases.²

 

The reason is simple. Starch is one of the largest dietary sources of blood sugar and dangerous after-meal blood glucose spikes.^3,4 Even if you eat so-called “healthy grains” such as whole wheat and brown rice, these all convert into sugar during digestion.⁵

 

Fortunately, researchers have uncovered a dual-action enzyme known as transglucosidase (pronounced trans-gluco-side-ace) that blocks the conversion of starch into sugar and tranforms it into beneficial fiber.⁶

 

While you can’t eliminate all starch from your diet, you can neutralize its negative impact on your body. Transglucosidase represents a novel mechanism for protecting against the harmful effects of dietary starch.

 

Impressive laboratory studies have shown that when transglucosidase comes in contact with starchy foods and natural enzymes in the digestive tract, there’s a 31% reduction in rapidly digested starch (the kind that causes blood sugar to spike right after a meal) and an 11% increase in slowly digested starch (which gets converted to sugar more slowly, if at all).⁷

 

Together, that means approximately 40% of the starch you ingest is less likely to be rapidly absorbed into your bloodstream.

 

Human clinical studies have confirmed the ability of transglucosidase to reduce blood glucose and insulin levels.

 

For the typical aging adult, this offers a powerful way to help prevent crossing the line into prediabetes or overt diabetes, preserving pancreatic function, protecting against deadly glucose/insulin surges—and ultimately leading to a longer, healthier life.

 

Hidden Dangers of a High-Starch Diet

 

If you’re a diabetic—or experiencing even slightly elevated blood sugar—you probably know that sugar is one of the worst things you can put into your body. What you might not know is that one of the biggest sources of sugar in your diet is starch.⁷ Because even whole grains are converted to sugar during digestion, every gram of starch you eat could represent one gram of free glucose in your blood.^5,8

 

That means that even seemingly healthy food choices (whole grain bread, brown rice, and whole wheat pasta, for example) can lead to increases in blood sugar and insulin—and ultimately an increased threat to your health—especially if you already suffer from insulin resistance (prediabetes) or diabetes.

 

Starchy foods are rich in glucose precursors such as amylopectin, which is the main form of rapidly digestible starch in the human body.⁹ Because the starch in various foods is converted into sugar at different rates, it results in variable rates of blood sugar elevation, insulin response, and satiety (the sense of fullness you get after eating a portion of each food).^5,10

 

Regardless of the form of starch you eat however, be it whole grain bread and brown rice or cookies and cake, the fact remains that all digestible starch gets turned into sugar as it passes through the digestive tract.^5,7,8 And that results in elevations in blood sugar and dangerously higher insulin levels—whether you suffer from diabetes or not.

 

When sugar (glucose) binds to your body’s proteins, it produces advanced glycation end products, which are “sugar-coated” proteins that have become stiff, inflexible, and dysfunctional.^11-13

 

Advanced glycation end products trigger inflammation and oxidization, leading to massive amounts of the tissue damage that underlies chronic disease—and aging itself.^12,13

 

Impact of Insulin Excess

 

In response to surplus blood sugar, your body has to pump out far too much insulin.^6,14,15 Insulin is a hormone that’s essential for carbohydrate and fat metabolism. But when it’s secreted in excess, insulin becomes a “death hormone.” Chronically elevated insulin levels put you at increased risk of dying from diseases as diverse as cancer, obesity, heart attacks, and strokes, and can ultimately lead to a “burnt-out” pancreas incapable of any glucose control at all.^14,16-18

 

Even people with “normal” fasting blood sugar levels are at an increased risk if their after-meal glucose levels rise too high, too fast.^19,20 That’s why, even if you’re not diabetic, you need to be doing all you can to keep your blood sugar and insulin levels under control.

 

Too many Americans are living in a dangerous “gray zone” with their health. Even though they think they’re safe from harm, their glucose and insulin levels are precariously approaching abnormal. You could be living on the brink of a major health disaster—and not even know it.²⁰

 

Conventional Doctors Missed the Boat

 

Modern-day physicians aren’t helping the situation because they typically wait far too long before they respond to a patient’s “pre-diabetic” state (technically called impaired glucose tolerance, or insulin resistance). And when they do respond, it’s often with costly prescription drugs that don’t fully address the underlying problems. In the end, prevention makes the most sense.

 

Fortunately, researchers have discovered a unique enzyme that can help prevent you from crossing the line into prediabetes or overt diabetes by mitigating the harmful effects of dietary starch.⁶ This transformative enzyme is called transglucosidase.

 

Aided by your body’s own starch-digesting enzymes, transglucosidase literally rearranges the molecular structure of starch. Instead of allowing starch to be converted into free sugars that spike your blood glucose and trigger deadly insulin release, transglucosidase converts starch into beneficial, indigestible, prebiotic fiber—right in your own digestive tract.^6,7,21-23

 

With the help of transglucosidase, you can achieve multiple life-saving goals with a single supplement:

1. You’ll convert less starch to sugar, ensuring a smaller glucose load, especially in the critical after-meal period.^6,21,22
2. You’ll release less insulin, thus reducing your risk of excess insulin’s deadly health effects.^6,21,22
3. You’ll be providing yourself with additional prebiotic fiber, further reducing your risk of diabetes and enhancing intestinal health.^7,23-29

What You Need to Know

Transglucosidase: Reducing Sugar Surges

• High blood sugar and the resulting high insulin levels pose a grave threat to Americans’ health, even for non-diabetic people.
• The biggest source of glucose in the diet is not sugar or sweeteners, but rather starch, which is made up of hundreds of individual glucose molecules that break off and are absorbed during digestion.
• Slowing starch digestion is one important way of reducing dangerous spikes in blood sugar following a meal, as is increasing one’s intake of prebiotic dietary fiber.
• Transglucosidase offers a revolutionary approach to managing high blood sugar and insulin surges by converting starch into prebiotic fiber directly in the intestinal tract.
• Studies show that transglucosidase can stop the progression of prediabetes to diabetes, while limiting tissue damage and lowering cardiovascular and cancer risk factors among diabetics.
• If you are concerned about the risks of high blood sugar, you should take a transglucosidase supplement before every starch-containing meal.

 

Neutralize Dietary Starch

As stated earlier, regardless of the form of starch you eat, all digestible starch gets turned into sugar as it passes through the digestive tract.^7,8 And that results in elevations in blood sugar and a rise in insulin levels into the danger zone. The riskiest period is the two hours immediately following a meal; studies show that this after-meal blood glucose and insulin surge is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease.¹² Fortunately, transglucosidase can help eliminate the dangers of this after-meal period.

So what does happen to the starch you just ate? That’s the second part of the transglucosidase story.
In addition to blocking the conversion of starch into sugar, transglucosidase converts that harmful sugar into beneficial prebiotic dietary fiber.^6,23,30

We know that the more fiber you consume, the better your health. High-fiber diets may help you live longer for several reasons.³¹ Prebiotic fiber feeds the beneficial bacteria living in your colon; those bacteria in turn convert other types of fiber into healthy molecules that lower levels of inflammation in your body, slow excessive weight gain, reduce your blood cholesterol, shrink your risk of cancer, and—importantly—help normalize blood glucose and insulin levels.^32-36

But despite the American Dietetic Association’s recommendation that healthy adults should consume 20 to 35 grams/day of dietary fiber, most people don’t come anywhere close to this level of intake, partly because it’s hard to find good, palatable sources of fiber.³²

When you supplement with transglucosidase, however, you are capable of converting unhealthy starches with high sugar release and low fiber content into healthy prebiotic fiber—directly in your own digestive tract.^6,21,22

Human data confirms the benefit of transglucosidase for improving the health of the beneficial bacteria that reside in the digestive tract. In a group of forty type II diabetics receiving transglucosidase for 12 weeks, 67% had considerable improvement in the health and balance of bacterial colonies in their digestive tract.³⁷ Researchers believe that the modulation of gut bacteria by transglucosidase may be one of the main mechanisms by which transglucosidase supports control of glucose levels and promotes weight loss in type II diabetics.

That means transglucosidase has the potential to radically change the equation when it comes to the dangers of starch in your diet. Given its dual mechanism of action—blocking the release of harmful sugar from starch and converting it instead into beneficial fiber—transglucosidase has the power to help prevent you from crossing the line into prediabetes (insulin resistance) or overt diabetes, preserving your pancreatic function and protecting you from dangerous insulin surges—and ultimately prolonging your life.

Table 1: The Impact of Common Starchy Foods on Glucose, Insulin, and Satiety Scores ^45,46

Because one gram of starch could be converted by digestive enzymes into one gram of sugar, foods that are high in starch are also high in sugar.^5,8 Sugar is released more easily from some foods than from others, resulting in very different blood sugar and insulin profiles. In this table, various foods are compared with white bread, a starchy food that is rapidly converted to sugar. The “glucose score” indicates how much glucose a food contains compared to white bread; the “insulin score” indicates how much a given food raises blood insulin compared to white bread; and the “satiety score” indicates how full you feel after eating identical portions of each food, compared to white bread.^45,46

Food	Glucose score	Insulin score	Satiety score
White bread (baseline)	100	100	100
Whole-grain bread	97	96	157
White rice	110	79	138
Brown rice	104	62	132
White pasta	46	40	119
Brown pasta	68	40	188
Potatoes	141	121	323
Baked beans	114	120	168
Crackers	118	87	127
Mars bars	79	122	70
Bananas	79	81	118
Cornflakes	76	75	118
Porridge	60	40	209
Apples	50	59	197

 

Reduce Your Risk of Developing Diabetes

Transglucosidase has been studied around the world, and it’s one of the only known natural enzymes that can prevent the progression of prediabetes to full-blown diabetes.⁶

People with prediabetes often have fasting glucose levels near the upper limits of “normal” (near or above 100 mg/dL) and have already lost the ability to control after-meal glucose and insulin surges. Prediabetics have a high risk of progressing to full-blown diabetes—but even if they don’t, these “mild” elevations in blood sugar still correlate strongly with diseases such as heart attack, inflammatory bowel disease, and cancer.^6,38

In a study including prediabetics, one group received a “low dose” of 450,000* units of transglucosidase, one group received a “high dose” of 900,000 units of transglucosidase, and a third group received a placebo.⁶ The subjects took the supplements along with a test meal of white rice (high in starch) that is readily converted to glucose.

Over the course of three hours following the control meal, the subjects’ total blood sugar rose into dangerous territory, as would be expected for people with prediabetes.⁶ But the people who supplemented with transglucosidase at either dose had significantly lower total blood sugar concentrations over the three-hour period, along with a trend towards lower insulin levels. There were no significant side effects.

What this means for you is that, if you are a prediabetic, you can safely limit the negative impact of a starchy meal—and can slow your rate of progression towards diabetes.⁶

Shield Your Body from Chronically Elevated Insulin

Anyone whose blood sugar is not under optimum control is exposed to the dangers of chronically elevated insulin levels. That’s because your body will pump out insulin so long as blood sugar levels are above normal—and can result in an insulin level that may be dangerously elevated in its effort to keep blood sugar at a normal level, making it a truly hidden danger.

Insulin, of course, is a useful and necessary hormone. It is responsible for driving blood sugar into cells, where it’s burned for energy. Without properly regulated amounts of insulin we couldn’t survive.

But insulin, like many hormones, has multiple functions. The little-known “dark side” of insulin is that it is a powerful growth factor.⁴¹ And in the healthy adult body, there’s limited usefulness in growth factors. Excessive growth factor production triggers cell replication in places we don’t want it. Insulin and other growth factors are implicated, for example, in cancer, where unregulated cellular reproduction produces deadly malignancies.⁴²And imbalanced growth factors, including insulin, are also implicated in the thickening and poor responsiveness of smooth muscle cells lining arterial walls, contributing to cardiovascular disease.⁴¹

Excessive insulin production is the result of insulin resistance, which is another way to say “prediabetes.” High insulin levels are associated with a 37% increase in the risk of dying from cancer—whether or not you have diabetes.^40,43 Doctors are finally learning to pay attention to insulin levels as well as to blood sugar levels when evaluating new treatments and when advising their patients. And they are starting to seek therapies that increase insulin sensitivity and lower overall insulin levels.⁴⁴

Most antidiabetic drugs aim only to drive down blood sugar levels and have no effect on insulin; others are actually intended to increase your insulin levels in the attempt to reduce blood sugar. But transglucosidase works in part by lowering insulin levels as blood sugar normalizes.

In human studies in which healthy subjects with evidence of insulin resistance ate a test meal of white rice (high in starch), placebo recipients saw their insulin levels rise along with their after-meal blood sugars (the expected response), while those receiving transglucosidase had small decreases in insulin over the same time period.⁶ And in patients with diabetes, who already had elevated insulin levels, 12 weeks of transglucosidase supplementation led to significant drops in insulin concentration overall. These are remarkable findings, given that these subjects made no other changes in their diets or lifestyles.
 

 

Reduce the Impact of Diabetes

 

Another clinical study looked at patients who already had type II diabetes, and the researchers found that the benefits of transglucosidase are just as exciting for those with full-blown diabetes as they are for prediabetics.²²

 

Diabetics not only have elevated blood sugar and often high insulin levels, but also have detectable evidence of advanced glycation end products in the form of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). This blood test is an indication of total blood sugar levels over an approximate two to three-month period.

 

Patients in the study received total daily doses of 900,000 units of transglucosidase, 2.7 million units of transglucosidase, or a placebo.²² Both doses produced respectable reductions in hemoglobin A1c, lowering it by an average 0.18 and 0.21%, respectively (normal measurements for this test should not exceed 5.5%).

 

Patients’ insulin concentrations fell significantly as well, by 2.79 and 3.59 mIU/mL, respectively.²²

 

And while transglucosidase does not replace metformin if internal overproduction of glucose by the liver is the culprit behind elevated fasting glucose (>85 mg/dL) or elevated HbA1C (>5.5%), its dramatic insulin reductions are similar to those seen with the drug metformin, which can reduce fasting insulin by about 38% in obese, insulin-resistant people.^39,40

 

But the benefits of transglucosidase for diabetics don’t end there. The patients taking transglucosidase also had significant increases in a beneficial cytokine called adiponectin and significant reductions in triglycerides and diastolic blood pressure.²²

 

On the other hand, the placebo patients experienced significant increases in their body mass index (a measure of total weight for height) and also had increases in markers of fat-induced liver damage. Neither group of patients taking transglucosidase had such changes.²²

 

If you already have type II diabetes, the availability of this novel enzyme is excellent news. It means that supplementing with transglucosidase not only helps protect against dangerous glycation reactions taking place in your tissues (which will cause heart, kidney, nerve and eye disease, given time), but also blunts excessive insulin levels (which raise your risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases). In addition, it can also help protect you from further weight gain and other measures of poor health. And it’s all done without taking a single drug.

 

 

Dosing Enzymes

*Unlike many other nutrients, enzymes are dosed according to their unit of activity. One enzymatic unit is the amount of enzyme needed to convert one micromole (µmol) of a substance per minute.

This is not to be confused with the International Unit (IU), which is an unrelated measure of other biologically active substances such as vitamin D.

Because transglucosidase is an enzyme, the dosages are measured in “units of enzyme activity” not milligrams or International Units (IU). A 450,000 unit dose is typically the amount found in one capsule.
 

 

Summary

 

Chronically elevated glucose and insulin levels, especially those immediately following a meal, should be a major concern of any adult—even if you have no known history of high blood sugar. High insulin and glucose blood levels are at least as dangerous as high cholesterol when it comes to increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

 

In addition, chronically elevated glucose and insulin sharply elevate cancer rates. That’s why it’s important to take all possible steps to prevent dietary starch from converting into deadly sugar calories.

 

Transglucosidase is a groundbreaking supplement that is the first of its kind. Its dual mechanism of action helps manage high blood sugar and excess insulin by blocking the release of harmful sugar from starch…converting it instead into beneficial fiber.

 

This is a medical breakthrough capable of mitigating the growing diabetes epidemic—and is a critical new tool in our kit for managing dangerous metabolic conditions.

 

If your fasting glucose is over 85 mg/dL (which most adults are), or you have other indicators of glucose impairment such as elevated hemoglobin A1c or elevated fasting insulin, take transglucosidase before your two heaviest starch-containing meals of the day.

 

Human clinical trials have established its value in healthy as well as diabetic individuals. And that translates to lower risks for cancer, vision problems, and heart disease.

 

If you have any questions on the scientific content of this article, please call a Life Extension^® Health Advisor at 1-866-864-3027.

 

Doggie Diabetes

Diabetes is common in dogs as well as people. Fortunately, transglucosidase can help manage glucose levels in dogs as well as in humans. When researchers in Japan studied transglucosidase in animals, they found that the results were virtually identical with what we’ve seen in human studies.²¹

Healthy non-diabetic control dogs receiving transglucosidase experienced lower total after-meal glucose and insulin levels compared with those receiving the control diet alone. And the usual “spike” in after-meal glucose levels was virtually eliminated, allowing the dogs to maintain normal glucose concentrations of 85 to 95 mg/dL.²¹
 

 

References

1. German JB, Dillard CJ. Saturated fats: what dietary intake? Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Sep;80(3):550-9.
2. Available at: http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/report/HTML/G5_History.htm. Accessed April 3, 2013.
3. Daly ME, Vale C, Walker M, Littlefield A, Alberti KG, Mathers JC. Acute effects on insulin sensitivity and diurnal metabolic profiles of a high-sucrose compared with a high-starch diet. Am J Clin Nutr. 1998 Jun;67(6):1186-96.
4. Raben A, Holst JJ, Madsen J, Astrup A. Diurnal metabolic profiles after 14 d of an ad libitum high-starch, high-sucrose, or high-fat diet in normal-weight never-obese and postobese women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2001 Feb;73(2):177-89.
5. Brand-Miller JC, Stockmann K, Atkinson F, Petocz P, Denyer G. Glycemic index, postprandial glycemia, and the shape of the curve in healthy subjects: analysis of a database of more than 1,000 foods. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 Jan;89(1):97-105.
6. Sasaki M, Joh T, Koikeda S, et al. A novel strategy in production of oligosaccharides in digestive tract: prevention of postprandial hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia. J Clin Biochem Nutr.2007 Nov;41(3):191-6.
7. Ao Z, Simsek S, Zhang G, Venkatachalam M, Reuhs BL, Hamaker BR. Starch with a slow digestion property produced by altering its chain length, branch density, and crystalline structure. J Agric Food Chem. 2007 May 30;55(11):4540-7.
8. Available at: >http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/2000- 12/978293375.Bc.r.html. Accessed Feb 26, 2013.
9. Available at: http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/dl/free/0072442123/65764/samplech05.pdf. Accessed April 4, 2013.
10. Liljeberg HG, Akerberg AK, Björck IM. Effect of the glycemic index and content of indigestible carbohydrates of cereal-based breakfast meals on glucose tolerance at lunch in healthy subjects. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999 Apr;69(4):647-55.
11. Verzijl N, DeGroot J, Ben ZC, et al. Crosslinking by advanced glycation end products increases the stiffness of the collagen network in human articular cartilage: a possible mechanism through which age is a risk factor for osteoarthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 2002 Jan;46(1):114-23.
12. Del Turco S, Basta G. An update on advanced glycation endproducts and atherosclerosis. Biofactors.2012 Jul-Aug;38(4):266-74.
13. Sell DR, Monnier VM. Molecular basis of arterial stiffening: role of glycation- a mini-review. Gerontology.2012;58(3):227-37.
14. Cerf ME. Beta cell dynamics: beta cell replenishment, beta cell compensation and diabetes. Endocrine.2013 Mar 13.
15. Cerf ME. Beta cell dysfunction and insulin resistance. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2013;4:37.
16. Kuhl H. Breast cancer risk in the WHI study: the problem of obesity. Maturitas.2005 May 16;51(1):83-97.
17. Moyad MA. Obesity, interrelated mechanisms, and exposures and kidney cancer. Semin Urol Oncol. 2001 Nov;19(4):270-9.
18. Sandovici I, Hammerle CM, Ozanne SE, Constancia M. Developmental and environmental epigenetic programming of the endocrine pancreas: consequences for type 2 diabetes. Cell Mol Life Sci. 2013 Mar 6.
19. Abdelmoneim SS, Hagen ME, Mendrick E, et al. Acute hyperglycemia reduces myocardial blood flow reserve and the magnitude of reduction is associated with insulin resistance: a study in nondiabetic humans using contrast echocardiography. Heart Vessels.2012 Nov 23.
20. Reaven G. Insulin resistance and coronary heart disease in nondiabetic individuals. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2012 Aug;32(8):1754-9.
21. Sako T, Mori A, Lee P, et al. Supplementing transglucosidase with a high-fiber diet for prevention of postprandial hyperglycemia in streptozotocin-induced diabetic dogs. Vet Res Commun. 2010 Feb;34(2):161-72.
22. Sasaki M, Imaeda K, Okayama N, et al. Effects of transglucosidase on diabetes, cardiovascular risk factors and hepatic biomarkers in patients with type 2 diabetes: a 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Diabetes Obes Metab.2012 Apr;14(4):379-82.
23. Ota M, Okamoto T, Wakabayashi H. Action of transglucosidase from Aspergillus niger on maltoheptaose and [U-(13)C]maltose. Carbohydr Res. 2009 Mar 10;344(4):460-5.
24. Beerens K, Desmet T, Soetaert W. Enzymes for the biocatalytic production of rare sugars. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol.2012 Jun;39(6):823-34.
25. Cani PD. Crosstalk between the gut microbiota and the endocannabinoid system: impact on the gut barrier function and the adipose tissue. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2012 Jul;18 Suppl 4:50-3.
26. Costa GT, Guimaraes SB, Sampaio HA. Fructo-oligosaccharide effects on blood glucose: an overview. Acta Cir Bras.2012 Mar;27(3):279-82.
27. Di Bartolomeo F, Startek JB, Van den Ende W. Prebiotics to fight diseases: Reality or fiction? Phytother Res. 2012 Dec 27.
28. Mallappa RH, Rokana N, Duary RK, Panwar H, Batish VK, Grover S. Management of metabolic syndrome through probiotic and prebiotic interventions. Indian J Endocrinol Metab.2012 Jan;16(1):20-7.
29. Molinaro F, Paschetta E, Cassader M, Gambino R, Musso G. Probiotics, prebiotics, energy balance, and obesity: mechanistic insights and therapeutic implications. Gastroenterol Clin North Am. 2012 Dec;41(4):843-54.
30. Kurimoto M, Nishimoto T, Nakada T, Chaen H, Fukuda S, Tsujisaka Y. Synthesis by an alpha-glucosidase of glycosyl-trehaloses with an isomaltosyl residue. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 1997 Apr;61(4):699-703.
31. A high-fiber diet may help you live longer. Mayo Clin Health Lett.2012 Jun;30(6):4.
32. Marlett JA, McBurney MI, Slavin JL. Position of the American Dietetic Association: health implications of dietary fiber. J Am Diet Assoc. 2002 Jul;102(7):993-1000.
33. Ajani UA, Ford ES, Mokdad AH. Dietary fiber and C-reactive protein: findings from national health and nutrition examination survey data. J Nutr.2004 May;134(5):1181-5.
34. Liu S, Willett WC, Manson JE, Hu FB, Rosner B, Colditz G. Relation between changes in intakes of dietary fiber and grain products and changes in weight and development of obesity among middle-aged women. Am J Clin Nutr.2003 Nov;78(5):920-7.
35. Sluijs I, van der Schouw YT, van der AD, et al. Carbohydrate quantity and quality and risk of type 2 diabetes in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Netherlands (EPIC-NL) study. Am J Clin Nutr.2010 Oct;92(4):905-11.
36. Silva FM, Steemburgo T, de Mello VD, Tonding SF, Gross JL, Azevedo MJ. High dietary glycemic index and low fiber content are associated with metabolic syndrome in patients with type 2 diabetes. J Am Coll Nutr. 2011 Apr;30(2):141-8.
37. Transglucosidase improves the gut microbiota profile of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. Presented at Digestive Disease Week. 2013 May 18-21. Orlando, FL
38. Kumar V, Sinha AK, Makkar HP, de Boeck G, Becker K. Dietary roles of non-starch polysaccharides in human nutrition: a review. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr.2012;52(10):899-935.
39. Freemark M, Bursey D. The effects of metformin on body mass index and glucose tolerance in obese adolescents with fasting hyperinsulinemia and a family history of type 2 diabetes. Pediatrics.2001 Apr;107(4):E55.
40. Jalving M, Gietema JA, Lefrandt JD, et al. Metformin: taking away the candy for cancer? Eur J Cancer. 2010 Sep;46(13):2369-80.
41. Breen DM, Giacca A. Effects of insulin on the vasculature. Curr Vasc Pharmacol. 2011 May;9(3):321-32.
42. Muhidin SO, Magan AA, Osman KA, Syed S, Ahmed MH. The relationship between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and colorectal cancer: the future challenges and outcomes of the metabolic syndrome. J Obes.2012;2012:637538.
43. Dankner R, Shanik MH, Keinan-Boker L, Cohen C, Chetrit A. Effect of elevated basal insulin on cancer incidence and mortality in cancer incident patients: the Israel GOH 29-year follow-up study. Diabetes Care.2012 Jul;35(7):1538-43.
44. Fierz Y, Novosyadlyy R, Vijayakumar A, Yakar S, LeRoith D. Insulin-sensitizing therapy attenuates type 2 diabetes-mediated mammary tumor progression. Diabetes.2010 Mar;59(3):686-93.
45. Holt SH, Miller JC, Petocz P. An insulin index of foods: the insulin demand generated by 1000-kJ portions of common foods. Am J Clin Nutr.1997 Nov;66(5):1264-76.
46. Holt SH, Miller JC, Petocz P, Farmakalidis E. A satiety index of common foods. Eur J Clin Nutr. 1995 Sep;49(9):675-90.

 http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2013/jul2013_Stop-Starch-Induced-Glucose-Surges_01.htm

Food myths debunked

Posted on 19 July 2011 - 11:31am
Last updated on 19 July 2011 - 04:25pm

Steve Yap

lifestyle@thesundaily.com

THE World Health Organisation defines health in terms of both mental and physical well-being and not merely the absence of disease. This is the definition of health that practitioners of complementary medicine subscribe to.

While public perceptions and beliefs on health are varied, in this two-part series, we look at some of the common beliefs among Malaysians:

A little junk food is okay

We age through a process called oxidation initiated by free radicals. Most fried, deep-fried, baked, microwaved, rancid foods/sauces, and titbits are loaded with free radicals that accelerate our ageing process.

Once initiated, the process doesn’t stop until these free radicals are neutralised by antioxidants or by similar nutrients from food consumed.

Free radicals from, say, trans fatty acids, are known to initiate abnormal cell (tumour) growth that later leads to malignancy.

A food would be considered ‘junk’ if its major component(s) are in excess of our body’s requirements such as highly-refined carbohydrates and sugars.

Breakfast cereals for higher energy

Good dietary fats can offer 300% more energy than cereals or grains and protein delivers 25% more energy than carbohydrates.

Breakfasts should be reasonably high in quality protein, not necessarily from animal source.
Indeed, the popular body-building proteins BCAAs are derived from seeds and nuts.

However, some protein from egg white, soy isolate, skimmed milk, livestock, seafood, or animal improves utilisation of protein from plant sources.

Rice for fullness

Refined starches with high glycaemic indices trigger insulin spikes after their consumption, especially on an empty stomach. The higher our insulin levels, the more hunger spells we experience in the following hours because this hormone also stimulates hunger and promotes storage of fats.

The feeling of ‘fullness’ after eating rice or other cereals can come from carbohydrate/sugar ‘addiction’. In reality, fullness is a feeling triggered by the hormone leptin after adequate amount of protein rather than starch is consumed.

Heavy dinner for a hard day’s work

Our tissue-repairing growth hormone (hGH) levels are higher in the morning than in the evening. The situation may be different if you do exercises and/or resistance training that trigger hGH spikes before dinner time.

If your quality protein intake during breakfast and lunch is adequate, then dinner could include food rich in sleep-promoting nutrient tryptophan such as rice, fresh corn, soy isolate, soy products, peanuts, wheat germ, wheat bran, pumpkin seeds, and some seaweed.

Only sugar makes a diabetic

High glycaemic index foods such as those made from refined starches can accelerate diabetes much more than, say, table sugar. Foods that strongly trigger insulin spikes promote diabetes.

The addictive or ‘comforting’ effect of consuming refined carbohydrates explains why it’s so difficult to prevent or stop people drifting into diabetes, which is the mother of chronic health disorders including atherosclerosis.

Protein is harmful

Our enzymes, antibodies, muscles, red blood cells, and even bone structure require adequate protein intake for optimum repair and renewal. Some 40% of dry matter of our body tissues is protein.

Our need for protein is accelerated in times of physiological or mental stress, trauma, physical injuries, and even after surgery. Failure to replace adequate quality protein results in muscle wastage from nitrogen excretion.

Those with renal failure or weak renal functions should either avoid or take animal protein under supervision.

Incidentally, it isn’t widely appreciated that our body needs vitamin B6 for its protein or protein-related metabolism.

Vegetable fats are healthier

Small amount of omega-6 vegetable fat is essential. However, omega-6 fats are much more easily oxidised than say grape seed oil (omega-9), palm oil, or virgin coconut oil (medium-chain triglycerides).

Oxidation causes fat to turn rancid and when consumed, our antibodies could attack them.

Hydrogenated or partly hydrogenated fats are rancid fats too. The inflammatory process they can initiate is now considered a principal means by which arterial plaques are believed to be formed.

Coconut oil is harmful

Contrary to popular belief, virgin coconut oil is associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Its medium-chain fatty acids seem to offer a triple approach to weight loss, namely they (i) have a lower calorie content than other long-chain fats, (ii) are minimally stored as fat, and (iii) contribute to thermogenesis (enhanced metabolism) to burn more calories.

This oil suppresses appetite, a characteristic of obvious benefit to those attempting to lower their intake of total calories (Stubbs et al, 1996)

Eggs harm the heart

Fresh farm eggs, soft or hard-boiled, may contain as much good HDL cholesterol as the so-called ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol.

In addition, egg yolk contains memory-enhancing choline, bone-building nutrients, and homocysteine-lowering vitamin B12.

Elevated homocysteine is known to be 300% more harmful to arteries of the heart compared to total cholesterol.

However, eggs aren’t healthy if you’re allergic to its protein or have elevated serum ferritin since egg yolk is rich in iron which is a highly-oxidising mineral if consumed in excess.

Views expressed are those of the author, who’s president of the Federation of Complementary & Natural Medical Associations, and not necessarily those of the professional bodies and government committees of which he’s a member. Dato’ Steve Yap can be contacted at: dsy dsywellness.com

http://www.thesundaily.my/news/83140

10 Common Food And Nutrition Myths Debunked

By Matthew Cenzon

Published October 27, 2011


Whether you hear them from a friend or see them in an email passed amongst co-workers, the same food and nutrition myths have been passed around for ages. Fortunately, people have easier access to an abundance of information to determine if there is any validity to these health care claims. In case you were wondering, here are 10 common food and nutrition myths that aren't true:

1. All Fats Are Bad

When people think of the word "fat" in association to their food, they always assume it is something negative. While there certainly are types of fats out there that are bad, like trans fats, there is also omega-3 fatty acid and monounsaturated fat. Healthy fat can be very beneficial by decreasing a person's risk of heart disease or diabetes.

2. Some Foods Actually Burn Calories

Many people have heard of "negative calorie" foods that are said to burn more calories through digestion than they actually contain. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), this is false. You cannot simply eat certain types of foods to lose weight, and the only foods that are beneficial for burning weight are foods that contain caffeine, which can help boost metabolism (see myth #6).

3. Eggs Lead to Higher Cholesterol

More and more people have become aware of the cholesterol content of eggs, leading them to believe that eggs can increase a person's cholesterol. However, what they don't know is that the dietary cholesterol found in eggs isn't as closely related to the body's cholesterol level as they think. In an article by CNN, eggs were said to contain small amounts of saturated fat, which is the real agent responsible for increased cholesterol in the body.

4. More Fiber is Always Better

Fiber may help with dieting, weight-loss and a healthier lifestyle, but eating too much fiber isn't always a good thing. Increased fiber intake can lead to a lot of gas and bloating, and just like everything else, should be taken in moderation.

5. High-fructose Corn Syrup is Worse than Sugar

Not many people are certain how this food and nutrition myth came about, but many have heard that high-fructose corn syrup is bad for your health. Perhaps the rumor was started when someone realized that it was in practically everything. While studies have shown a correlation between high-fructose corn syrup and obesity, the American Medical Association has concluded that it is no different from sugar.

6. Caffeine is Bad for You

Caffeine, in extremely high doses, can be detrimental to your health. However, this stimulant should not be given such a bad rap when taken in moderation. Caffeine can be beneficial to your health as an energy booster, and to help speed up your metabolism to burn more calories, especially before a workout.

7. Starchy Foods Lead to Weight Gain

Starchy foods, like breads, rice, cereals pastas, potatoes and fruits have been are often associated in weight gain. The truth is, many of these foods are actually low in fat and calories, and can be a part of a properly balanced diet. The only problem is these starchy foods aren't as filling as protein-rich foods, causing people to eat more starches than they actually should. In other words, starchy foods do not necessarily lead to weight gain, but eating too much starchy food can.

8. Never Eat Fast Food

High levels of saturated fat and excessive calories has given fast food a bad name. However, fast food shouldn't be ruled out of a person's meal plan, entirely. The NIDDK suggests making smarter choices at the drive-thru like avoiding supersized combo meals and opting for salads and grilled chicken breast sandwiches instead of hamburgers.

9. Late Night Eating Will Make You Fat

Late night eating does not make you fat, it's eating the excess calories that does. It does not matter what time of the day you are eating, what matters most is how many calories you are consuming against how many calories you burned that leads to weight gain. If you want to have a late night snack, ask yourself how many calories you consumed during the day. If you had three square meals, plus a snack between lunch and dinner, you've probably hit your daily quota for calories, and that late night snack is just excess, which leads to weight gain, which leads to the myth that eating late makes you fat.

10. Eating Red Meat is Bad For Your Health

Red meat is most commonly associated with numerous health risks like cancer, heart attack and stroke, and eating too much red meat is always frowned upon. However, red meat can be a part of a nutritious diet when eaten in moderation, and should not be completely avoided. Eating lean forms of red meat, in moderation, will allow people to reap the benefits of its protein, iron and zinc content, while avoiding the adverse health effects.

Sources:

• NIDDK
• Web MD
• CNN
• American Medical Association

http://www.symptomfind.com/nutrition-supplements/food-and-nutrition-myths-debunked/
.

Carbs bring back Breast Cancer

Eating white bread and pasta could increase risk of breast cancer returning in patients

• Starch-rich diet linked to new tumours developing
• Refined carbohydrates, such as white breads and white pasta, contain more starch than whole grains

By Sadie Whitelocks

Last updated at 5:02 PM on 9th December 2011

Comments (10)

Eating cereal, bread and potatoes may boost the
risk of breast cancer recurrence say scientists

Eating plenty of cereal, bread and potatoes may boost the risk of breast cancer recurring in survivors, say scientists.

A study found that former sufferers who followed a starch-rich diet were more likely to develop tumours compared to those who reduced their intake.

Researchers are unable to explain the trend but it is believed that increased insulin levels, sparked by refined carbohydrates, could stimulate the growth of cancerous cells.

A team from University of California, San Diego, studied the diets of 2,651 breast cancer survivors over 12 months.


They found that carbohydrates in general - especially starches - were linked to the risk of new tumours developing.


The rate of recurrence was 14.2 per cent among women who increased their starch intake while it was 9.7 per cent for those who decreased their consumption.

Lead researcher Jennifer Emond said: 'The results show that it's not just overall carbohydrates, but particularly starch.

'Women who increased their starch intake over one year were at a much likelier risk for recurring.'

More...

• Cutting carbs for two days 'better than calorie counting all week'
• Breast screening 'could do more harm than good': Women operated on needlessly, says report

At the start, the women's carbohydrate intake was 233g per day.

Women whose cancer recurred increased their carbohydrate by 2.3g per day during the first year, while those who did not see a recurrence reduced their intake by 2.7g.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the
UK affecting about 46,000 women every year

Carbohydrates are the most important fuel for muscles, and an essential energy source for the brain and central nervous system, but some can be healthier than others.

Refined carbohydrates, such as white breads and white pasta, contain more starch than whole grains.

Professor Emond added: 'We didn't pinpoint the exact foods.'

Marji McCullough from the American Cancer Society said the findings, presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in Texas, are important for breast cancer survivors who want to know know how to lower their risk of recurrence.

However she added that it is too early to advise making dietary changes and further research is need.

Baroness Delyth Morgan, Chief Executive, Breast Cancer Campaign said, 'This study suggests that reducing starch consumption could possibly reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence.

'However, it is too early to make dietary recommendations based on these results and we therefore welcome further investigations into this interesting area.

'While the overall risk of developing the disease can be reduced with some adjustments to diet, a reduction in alcohol consumption and not smoking, the causes of breast cancer are complex with the biggest risk factors being gender, age and genetics.'

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK affecting about 46,000 women every year.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2072000/White-bread-pasta-rich-diet-increases-risk-breast-cancer-returning.html