Huge new study from Finland. Abstract is below, but its something we have been saying for years. The emphasis is mine.

Since 2006, type 1 diabetes in Finland has plateaued and then decreased after the authorities’ decision to fortify dietary milk products with cholecalciferol. The role of vitamin D in innate and adaptive immunity is critical. A statistical error in the estimation of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for vitamin D was recently discovered; in a correct analysis of the data used by the Institute of Medicine, it was found that 8895 IU/d was needed for 97.5% of individuals to achieve values ≥50 nmol/L. Another study confirmed that 6201 IU/d was needed to achieve 75 nmol/L and 9122 IU/d was needed to reach 100 nmol/L. The largest meta-analysis ever conducted of studies published between 1966 and 2013 showed that 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels <75 nmol/L may be too low for safety and associated with higher all-cause mortality, demolishing the previously presumed U-shape curve of mortality associated with vitamin D levels. Since all-disease mortality is reduced to 1.0 with serum vitamin D levels ≥100 nmol/L, we call public health authorities to consider designating as the RDA at least three-fourths of the levels proposed by the Endocrine Society Expert Committee as safe upper tolerable daily intake doses. This could lead to a recommendation of 1000 IU for children <1 year on enriched formula and 1500 IU for breastfed children older than 6 months, 3000 IU for children >1 year of age, and around 8000 IU for young adults and thereafter. Actions are urgently needed to protect the global population from vitamin D deficiency.

And it really is not that difficult to do. I have been taking 5000 IU softgels from Life Extension which I get in packs of 360 (enough for a year) and it costs less than $15.

As an aside however, remember you need to also increase your consumption of Vitamin K2. Vitamin D helps absorbe dietary calcium but Vitamin K2 send its to your bones. Big leafy greans, hard cheeses, grass fed butter all have Vitamin K. Or if you find that difficult, take a supplement every now and then.

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Interesting new umbrella review (review of meta-analyses on coffee) in the Annual Review of Nutrition titled “Coffee, Caffeine, and Health Outcomes: An Umbrella Review“. They authors went through 91 meta-analyses of observational studies on coffee consumption.

In the review that found that coffee was associated with a probable:

• Decreased risk in breast cancer,
• Decreased risk in colorectal and colon cancer,
• Decreased risk in endometrial cancer,
• Decreased risk in prostate cancer
• Decreased risk in CVD-related outcomes
• Decreased risk in Parkinson’s disease
• Decreased risk in type-2 diabetes.
• Highly probably decrease in liver cancer.

So drink up!

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This is an interesting study showing the effect of high protein vs. high carbohydrate diets on pre-diabetes remission.

The study had pre-diabetes women and men either on a High Protein (30% protein, 30% fat, 40% carbohydrate) or a High Carbohydrate (15% protein, 30% fat, 55% carbohydrate) diet for six months.

The high protein diet had 100% remission of their pre-diabetes vs. 33.3% of the high-carbohydrate group. 

Although a small sample size, fascinating stuff.

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So there is a new study about Gut Bacteria. I still think gut-bacteria is the next frontier of medicine, and the more studies that come out like this one, make me believe it even more. The Guardian has the right up.

Interesting throughout, but some key parts, emphasis mine.

Far from being silent partners that merely help to digest food, the bacteria in your gut may also be exerting subtle influences on your thoughts, moods, and behaviour

…

Last year, they published evidence that germ-free mice, which are completely devoid of gut bacteria, exhibit altered gene expression in the amygdala, a small, almond-shaped brain structure that is critical regulating emotions and social behaviour. The animals were reared in highly sterile conditions, so that bacteria cannot colonise their guts after birth – as a result certain genes involved in neuronal function appear to more active in their brains compared to those of normal mice.

…

The process of myelination, by which myelin is formed and laid down around axons, is crucial for development and maturation of the brain. During adolescence, the brain undergoes a protracted period of heightened neural plasticity, during which large numbers of synapses are eliminated in the prefrontal cortex, and a wave of myelination sweeps across this part of the brain. These processes refine the circuitry in the prefrontal cortex, and increase its connectivity to other brain regions. The increased plasticity make adolescents more susceptible to risky behaviour and mental health conditions such as schizophrenia, however.

…

The results have wider implications, though. There is growing evidence that the distribution of myelin in the brain can be modified in response to experience, and Cryan points to a 2012 study showing that social isolation impairs myelination in the prefrontal cortex of adult mice. The new findings therefore offer tantalizing clues about how gut bacteria might regulate brain plasticity in response to isolation and other social factors or environmental stimuli.

The last sentence is truly thought-provoking, and really show-cases the synchronous pathway of the axis. 

So eat your sauerkraut and kimchi, and have some yoghurt and kefir people! 

We still don’t know how good it is for you, but we know that it is…

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Ahh the Olympics, were capitalism, politics and nationalism unite… oh also there is some sports apparently. But seriously, this was an interesting article...

“Veggie” diet blamed for poor performance of China’s women volleyball team

Fearing tainted meat, China’s women’s volleyball team has stuck to a strict vegetarian diet for the last three weeks, which the team’s coach is now blaming for his athletes’ abysmal performance.

  “They have showed significant decline in their strength and fitness” coach Yu Juemin said of his squad after Sunday’s defeat to the US.

I know this doesn’t really prove anything in the grand scheme of things, but still, its quite interesting!

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Here is a cool graphic from the Australian Science Media Centre. Don’t know too much about the organisation, but the infographic is quite informative.

Australian Science Media Centre

The sad part is that throughout the period shown on the graphic, we have been pushed the low-fat, high seed oil mantra, and its obviously not working. How can you continue to do everything the same, yet expect different results? It literally is insanity.

Also this line here is total media fodder;

However by just drinking one less soft drink or glass of wine per day, or by adding a 30-45 minute moderate-intensity walk we could all help stop this trend in its tracks.

It’s something simple yet effective that ‘journalists’ can include in their articles on the study.

So thats it everyone, just have one less can of softdrink per day, and all will be well.

Give me a break! (and some bacon)

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New Study: Is a Calorie a Calorie? via Whole Health Source

A new study in JAMA led by Dr. Cara B. Ebbeling and colleagues purports to challenge the idea that all calories are equally fattening (1).  Let’s have a look.

Dietary Fiber Alters Gut Bacteria, Supports Gastrointestinal Health via ScienceDaily

 A University of Illinois study shows that dietary fiber promotes a shift in the gut toward different types of beneficial bacteria. And the microbes that live in the gut, scientists now believe, can support a healthy gastrointestinal tract as well as affect our susceptibility to conditions as varied as type 2 diabetes, obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, colon cancer, and autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Why Does a Diet High in DHA Improve Memory? via ScienceDaily

 We’ve all heard that eating fish is good for our brains and memory. But what is it about DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid found in fish, that makes our memory sharper?

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I like vegetables. I don’t hold them to the great esteem that most others hold them to, but I like them. To me they add a mix of flavour, texture and colour to a meal, and of course, they have some pretty decent nutritional properties. Your vegetables are a good source of vitamins and minerals, (notice I didn’t say GREAT, as that is reserved to the truly great vitamin/mineral superfoods – the organ meats!) and they salad greens almost have zero caloric influence.

Greatist.com has a nice graphic showing the different vitamin content of various salad greens.  It’s in no way complete, but it’s a decent every day salad gauge.

The one thing I however did not like about the article at the Greatist, was the following sentence towards the end;

  The final key to becoming a lean, green fighting machine? Dress for success. Hold off on the creamy dressings, croutons, bacon bits, and layers of shredded cheese. Instead, opt for a lighter vinaigrette and a sprinkling of chopped walnuts or sunflower seeds for added crunch and protein.

Whats the point of eating all those greens for Vitamin A and Vitamin K when those two vitamins are fat-soluble so will not be absorbed to their full potential without a nice fatty dressing (with bacon bits). In fact, a recent study says it all; No-Fat, Low-Fat Dressings Don’t Get Most Nutrients out of Salads. Here are some choice quotes from the Science Daily article, emphasis mine.

The vegetables in salads are chock-full of important vitamins and nutrients, but you won’t get much benefit without the right type and amount of salad dressing, a Purdue University study shows.

 and what is “the right type”?

The study, published early online in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, found that monounsaturated fat-rich dressings required the least amount of fat to get the most carotenoid absorption, while saturated fat and polyunsaturated fat dressings required higher amounts of fat to get the same benefit.

break it down for us Mario (Study lead author);

“If you want to utilize more from your fruits and vegetables, you have to pair them correctly with fat-based dressings,” said Mario Ferruzzi, the study’s lead author and a Purdue associate professor of food science. “If you have a salad with a fat-free dressing, there is a reduction in calories, but you lose some of the benefits of the vegetables.”

 Which makes absolute sense. So next time you have a peace of broccoli, slather it in butter, make it drip yellowy goodness. Making a salad? Cover it in a bagon grease dressing, with added bacon bits (and people have the audacity to claim paleo is such a limited food diet!).

Absorbing nutrients has never been so much fun.

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I am a huge fan of the Leangains program by Martin Berkhan. I really think it is one of the simplest yet most effective plans for gaining serious muscle mass, whilst lowering body fat. It is a perfect synergy of intermittent fasting, heavy lifting and good diet. Best of all, its very managable, and can be applied with little to no major disturbance to your lifestyle.

Martin is a very switched on guy, who know’s his way around science and is one of the few bloggers out their who practices what he preaches (and is seriously jacked because of it!)

However, for all the greatness of his program, its hard to put it all together from his website (Sorry Marty!). This is where the team at Examine.com come in. They have created an awesome Leangains FAQ that aims to answer all the questions you have on the program. It’s even been pimped by Martin Berkhan himself. (Check out the rest of the Examine.com website, its an awesome resource of information on exercise, training, supplements and everything in between)

Check it out if you are serious about building muscle and losing fat.

Leangains FAQ

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Low-carbohydrate diet proven to be very effective in type 1 diabetics (just as you’d expect) via Dr Briffas Blog

A fundamental problem with diabetes is the usually-elevated levels of blood sugar (glucose) that go with it. These glucose molecules can react with proteins in the body, damaging them. This process – known as ‘glycation’ – is at the heart of diabetic complications such as cataracts, nerve damage, kidney disease and circulatory problems.

Anti-inflammatories and Schizophrenia via Evolutionary Psychiatry

Short little post on a paper from a few weeks ago from the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry: Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs in Schizophrenia: Ready for Practice or a Good Start? A Meta-Analysis.

  Turmeric for Brain, Body Health via Dr Weil’s Health Blog

 Want to help boost your mood? Add some turmeric to your cooking. Turmeric is the spice that makes curry orange and American mustard bright yellow, and is a potent natural anti-inflammatory agent.

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