Chocolate is a heart-healthy Valentine's gift, according to a systematic review

A box of chocolates this Valentine’s Day may be key for a long-lasting, healthy relationship… and  heart, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis just published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The study pooled data from 42 randomized controlled trials that included 1,297 subjects and found consistent short- and long-term cardiovascular benefits from intake of chocolate, cocoa, or cocoa flavanols—the antioxidant components of chocolate. Chocolate eating was associated with better toned blood vessels, blood flow, and maintenance of blood pressure. Additionally, chocolate eating was linked to better insulin sensitivity, a previously unreported finding.

The researchers evaluated several effects of cocoa flavanols on cardiovascular risk factors such as blood vessel elasticity (endothelial function), inflammation, and platelet function. Notably, chocolate appeared to help blood vessels become more elastic and flexible regardless of how much eaten per day.For most of us, the quantity of chocolate we eat is not a problem, but as usual, quality is the key. The study results are no reason to over-indulge in chocolate, the authors caution, as the sugar-and-fat calories can quickly add up. Unless the goal is to gain weight, there still needs to be moderation in chocolate-eating habits.

High Quality IsaDelight Plus 

Getting cardiovascular benefits from chocolate can be as simple as eating a couple or more pieces of IsaDelight Plus Dark Chocolates, specially formulated to be rich in antioxidant flavanols yet be low in calories. The chocolates also come packed with metabolism-boosting green tea extract and brain-supporting amino acids to assist in weight management. Healthy snacking never tasted so good!

Feeling bitter about dark chocolate for your Valentine? Give your sweetie a sweeter version with the new IsaDelight Plus Milk Chocolates. Still packed with cocoa flavanols, green tea extract, and amino acids, IsaDelight Plus Milk Chocolates offer a delicious, antioxidant-rich alternative.

For chocolate lovers, the additional evidence confirming cocoa’s heart-health benefits is great news. However, note that chocolate will not undo years of inactivity and a poor diet. Yet it can help jump-start the journey towards a healthier heart and overall you, especially when combined with Cleanse Days and Shake Days of an Isagenix system.

Reference

Hooper L et al. effects of chocolate, cocoa, and flavan-3-ols on cardiovascular health: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials. Am J Clin Nutr 2012; doi: 10.3945/ajcn.111.023457.

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American Heart Month is a time to raise awareness of No.1 killer heart disease

During the month of February, our minds may be on Valentine’s Day romance, but we shouldn’t forget to give a little love to our hearts. Our hearts work tirelessly, without rest or pause, over the course of our lifetimes providing us with an average of 70 to 75 beats per minute, or more than 100 thousand beats a day.

When given regular exercise and a healthy diet rich in nutrients, a typical human heart will beat around 2.5 billion times by age 70. Unfortunately, statistics point out that too many hearts fall short of that milestone. As it’s American Heart Month, it’s time to spread awareness that one in every three deaths is from heart disease or stroke.

What’s more worrisome is that risk of heart disease may be underestimated, according to a new 50-year-long analysis performed by University of Texas Southwest Medical Center researchers. The researchers categorized for “high-risk” markers of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, overweight or obesity, history of smoking, and diabetes and found that the risk of death from heart disease for most adults remains high over a lifetime with:

• white men having 36 percent risk
• black men having 33 percent risk
• women (both black and white) having 27 percent risk 

Previously, doctors have only flagged the presence of all or most of the risk factors as a cause for concern. The researchers, who published their findings in the New England Journal of Medicine, demonstrated that this approach is not adequate to predict development, at least in the long-term. They showed that people with just two or more risk factors increased their lifetime risk of developing heart disease by about 34 percent in men and 17 percent in women, compared to people with less than two risk factors.

Their findings may help explain why, according to the latest report (2) released by the American Heart Association (AHA) in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately one American dies of cardiovascular disease every 39 seconds, with nearly 33 percent of these deaths occurring before the age of 75, well before the predicted average lifespan for Americans of 78 years.

Once again, these statistics are presented alongside the baffling reality that heart disease is completely preventable. Every risk factor can be mitigated or eliminated by simply choosing a heart-healthy lifestyle.

Heart-healthy Lifestyle

How to begin the journey of taking the strain off your heart? Regular exercise and quitting smoking are critical, and so is eating a diet rich in antioxidants and fiber, as well as maintaining a healthy weight. Excess weight, the kind carried around the middle in particular, can put major strain on the heart and contributes to risk factors such as high blood pressure, insulin resistance, high cholesterol, and high triglycerides.

For help doing away with risk factors, there’s Isagenix—the Cleansing and Fat Burning System with Ageless Essentials Daily Pack is nutritionally sound and is clinically shown to help people meet their weight-management goals. The system’s Shake Days help control calories and its Cleanse Days help trigger healthy fat burning and promote natural detoxification while resting the liver. In addition, the system maximizes nutrition, providing all-important antioxidant nutrients such as vitamin E and coQ10, while also including fish omega-3 fatty acids to keep the heart going strong into old age (3-4).*

Regular add-ons such as SlimCakes or FiberSnacks! are also excellent for supplementing a fruit-and-vegetable-rich diet for heart-healthy fiber, which is largely absent in the American diet.** IsaDelight Plus chocolates can also be included as delicious, guilt-free snacks that can curb cravings assisting with weight loss (5).

Regardless of how we take care of ourselves, every heartbeat should serve as a small reminder this month of the statistics given above, the role of the heart, and to make choices showing we appreciate what it does for us daily as long as we live.

References

1.    Berry JD, Dyer A, Cai X et al. Lifetime risks of cardiovascular disease. N Engl J Med 2012;366:321-9.

2.    Roger VL, Go AS, Lloyd-Jones DM et al. Executive Summary: Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics–2012 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association. Circulation 2012;125:188-97.

3.    Shargorodsky M, Debby O, Matas Z, Zimlichman R. Effect of long-term treatment with antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E, coenzyme Q10 and selenium) on arterial compliance, humoral factors and inflammatory markers in patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors. Nutr Metab (Lond) 2010;7:55.

4.    Strom M, Halldorsson TI, Mortensen EL, Torp-Pedersen C, Olsen SF. Fish, n-3 fatty acids, and cardiovascular diseases in women of reproductive age: a prospective study in a large national cohort. Hypertension 2012;59:36-43.

5.    Buitrago-Lopez A, Sanderson J, Johnson L et al. Chocolate consumption and cardiometabolic disorders: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ 2011;343:d4488.

*Supportive but not conclusive research shows that consumption of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. One serving of Ageless Essentials Daily Pack provides 1,200 milligrams of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids. [See nutrition information for total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol content.]

**Diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease.

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by Michael Colgan, Ph.D.

It’s vital to guard your health, not because of the pain and suffering of illness. You just can’t afford the time to be ill. 

Time is what life’s made of. An average American lifetime is 78 years, a mere 936 months. According to the World Health Organization, we spend one-third of that time sleeping and getting up. (We are slow at getting up.) That leaves 640 months. Wow ! One-third of our life gone and we’re not having fun yet.

On average, we spend 15 years at kindie and school. It’s called the best time of your life. I would have given most of it a miss, but we spend all our youth at it. That’s 180 months. That leaves 460 months. Life’s half over. Where is all the fun?

We spend an average of 35 years working for a living, plus 2 weeks per year for vacations and another 10 days for public holidays which we will not count. Just the working is 420 months, and surveys say overwhelmingly that, given the choice, most folk wouldn’t. Wow! Most of us spend the biggest chunk of our lives doing stuff we would not do if given the choice.

That leaves only 40 months in a 78-year life, which includes all the vacations and days off you are ever going to get. When does the real fun start? 

On average we spend 25 hours per month at basic ablutions, that is, bathing and toileting, which many folk would give a miss if they didn’t start to look funny and smell odd. Bathing and toileting are fairly recent phenomena. (I am not counting the time spent preening because most people do consider that fun. That’s part of the 40 months we had left above, and some folk seem to spend the whole allotment preening.) Basic toilette takes just over I day per month, every month for life. That totals 32 months. Now we are down to 8 months.

Do everything possible to guard your health as your most precious possession. You don’t have the time to be ill. In a whole healthy lifetime, most of us get only 8 months for the real fun, including love, vacations, hanging out, hobbies, sport, travel, yakking, and shopping. No wonder we never have time to catch the monster trout, not to mention the Jimmy Choo sales.

Only way round it is to do a job (average 420 months of life) that’s real fun to do. If you don’t do that now, look in the mirror for the person to tell that it’s time for a change. Maybe it’s time for Isagenix.

About Dr. Colgan

Dr. Michael Colgan is a world-renowned research scientist, leading expert in the inhibition of aging, and a member of the Isagenix Science Advisory Board. Dr. Colgan has provided nutrition, training and anti-aging programs to more than 11,000 athletes, including many Olympians. He is director of his eponymous Colgan Institute, a consulting, educational and research facility concerned with the effects of nutrition and exercise on athletic performance, along with prevention of chronic degenerative disease, and prevention of degeneration of the brain.

To read more articles by Dr. Colgan, click on one of the following links:

• Whey Protein Concentrate: A Brief Summary
• How Safe is Whey Protein? Ask Dr. Colgan
• You Can Prevent Sarcopenia Lifelong
• How to Take Your Vitamins

Even mild dehydration can affect mood and concentration, according to study

Forget the caffeinated buzz of that morning cup of Joe, soda pop, or energy drink—water, plain water, could be all your brain needs for a real pick-me-up.

The brain may be a remarkably complex organ, but it requires water for every one of its cells and their function. Now, research from the University of Connecticut has found that keeping the brain completely hydrated is critical for its happy performance.

In a crossover study, 25 young women performed 40 minutes of treadmill walking in a warmed room as part of three experiments: 1) exercise-induced dehydration plus a placebo; 2) exercise-induced dehydration plus a diuretic; 3) and normal hydration with placebo. The researchers documented the women’s moods and their cognitive function during and after the activity.

The authors report that there were negative affects to vigor, fatigue, and mood after only mild dehydration, which equaled a 1.36 percent drop in body mass from water loss. A 2 percent drop in body mass from water loss is the “red flag” for full-blown dehydration. Also, the subjects’ perception of task difficulty and headache severity increased and their ability to concentrate decreased with just mild hydration.

While the cause of the mood changes is still under discussion, the importance of hydration is not. For the first time, this study shows that mood and concentration can be negatively impacted by a nearly insensible water loss. Simply drinking adequate amounts of water may help maintain mood and fight fatigue.

“This study demonstrates that, not only at rest but also during moderate exercise, a wide variety of adverse changes occur in slightly dehydrated, young, healthy females,” the researchers wrote In the December issue of the Journal of Nutrition. “Maintenance of optimal hydration is essential to ensure optimal mood and reduce symptoms.”

How much water should a person drink daily to prevent mild dehydration? The actual amount can depend on a number of factors including bodyweight, climate, and activity. Water is lost continually through breathing, sweating, urination, and bowel movements.

Standard advice is to drink around eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. A truer method is to take half a person’s bodyweight in pounds, then divide by half, and drink that much in ounces. On hot days or if performing physical activity, drink a few ounces more or, better yet, drink a sports drink like Want More Energy?® (containing no caffeine or stimulants) that also replenishes lost glycogen, vitamins, and electrolytes.

Based on the conclusions of this study, another approach may be to drink water whenever feeling a lack of energy, sluggish, or a little blue. Keeping an extra glass handy may be all it takes to keep mood and concentration up, leaving you feeling at your best.

Reference: Armstrong LE et al. Mild Dehydration Affects Mood in Healthy Young Women. J. Nutr 2011; doi: 10.3945/jn.111.142000.

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Trainer: Skin Health Expert Kathy McGowan

Want to have “ageless skin”? Designed by scientists in the field of tissue regeneration, Ageless Renewal Serum supplies Repair-Plex™, the proprietary blend of skin bioactives. The serum promotes greater production of matrix protein, collagen, and elastin to create thicker, younger-looking skin. Learn from Kathy McGowan how to best apply the product to work with your skin to “remember” what it has “forgotten” with age.

Trainer: Dr. Michael Colgan

With so many people who would like to lose weight, there is a great need for health professionals to properly guide these people through the process. Dr. Michael Colgan, world-renowned research scientist, has provided nutrition and training programs for thousands of people, and is director of his eponymous Colgan Institute, a consulting, educational and research facility concerned with the effects of nutrition and exercise on athletic performance, along with prevention of chronic degenerative disease, and prevention of degeneration of the brain. Listen in as he discusses the importance of retaining lean muscle mass while losing weight, and why muscle just might hold the secret to successful and healthy weight loss for anyone embarking on the journey.

Eating low-glycemic foods such as whole grains and fiber-rich fruits may reduce markers of inflammation in overweight and obese people, according to new study

Results of a new study suggests that a low-glycemic diet — rich in foods containing carbohydrates that are slowly absorbed into the bloodstream — significantly lowered markers of inflammation and also increased a hormone that helps in regulating the metabolism of sugar and fat.

The study, which be published in the February issue of the Journal of Nutrition, randomized 80 healthy men and women to a controlled feeding trial. Half of the participants were normal weight and half were overweight or obese.

The researchers, from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, found through subjects’ blood samples that C-reactive protein, a biomarker of inflammation, was reduced by about 22 percent among the overweight and obese subjects who followed the low-glycemic diet.

“This finding is important and clinically useful since C-reactive protein is associated with an increased risk for many cancers as well as cardiovascular disease,” said lead author Marian Neuhouser, Ph.D., R.D. “Showing that a low-glycemic-load diet can improve health is important for the millions of Americans who are overweight or obese.”

The researchers also found among the overweight and obese subjects that a low-glycemic-load diet moderately increased levels of the protective protein hormone, adiponectin. Adiponectin improves insulin sensitivity and increases fatty acid oxidation.

For two 28-day feeding periods, completed in random order, the subjects ate a diet featuring high-glycemic-load carbohydrates, and then a diet featuring low-glycemic-load carbohydrates. The diets were designed to maintain weight and while the type of carbohydrate and amount of fiber differed, the overall amounts of carbohydrates, calories, and other nutrients were the same.

“Dietary patterns that rapidly increase blood glucose and insulin concentrations postprandially (i.e., high GL) not only stimulate insulin resistance but also induce an inflammatory response due to the acute excess of cellular glucose,” the authors wrote.

High-glycemic-load carbohydrate sources are usually low in fiber and include products made with white flour, sugar-sweetened drinks and desserts, as well as fruit in canned syrup. Low-glycemic carbohydrate sources are generally higher in fiber or protein and include whole-grains, kidney beans, pinto beans, soy beans, lentils, milk, as well as fruits such as apples, oranges, grapefruits, and pears.

Reference: Neuhouser ML, Schwarz Y, Wang C et al. A Low-Glycemic Load Diet Reduces Serum C-Reactive Protein and Modestly Increases Adiponectin in Overweight and Obese Adults. J Nutr 2011. doi: 10.3945/jn.111.149807

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New research shows that fish oil supplementation combined with strength training improves muscle function in older women

The benefits of strength training are widely known, but now it looks like a strength training regimen supplemented with fish oil may be even better. Findings published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggest that people who consume a daily supplement containing 2 grams of fish oil in combination with strength training experience improved muscle function.

The study, reported to be the first of its kind, shows the combined benefits of fish oil and strength training on muscle function in a group of older women. These women were randomized into one of three groups with each group receiving strength training: strength training alone, strength training plus fish oil supplementation, and a group that started taking the fish oil 60 days prior to beginning the strength training regimen.

After 90 days of strength training three days a week, all women had improved muscle strength, but for those women who supplemented with fish oil these effects were even more pronounced.

“The use of fish oil supplementation in addition to strength training potentiates the neuromuscular system, enhancing the muscle strength and the functional capacity in elderly women,” wrote the researchers from Parana Federal University in Brazil.

The also went on to say, “Fish oil supplementation may be an attractive supplement for the elderly to maximize their neuromuscular responses to strength training, which is important to life quality.”

Of the possible mechanisms that fish oil is thought to improve muscle function, several may be involved. One explanation is that because fish oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), it alters cell membrane fluidity, which may affect acetylcholine uptake. Because acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that triggers the process of muscle contraction, the combination of fish oil and strength training may lead to faster communication between nerves and muscles, and thus faster muscle contraction.

The study found no difference in muscle function between the two groups supplementing with fish oil. Therefore, it seems that the length of time supplementing with fish oil doesn’t matter as much as just being sure to supplement.

The dose of fish oil in the study was 2 grams (2000 milligrams) consisting of about 400 milligrams EPA and 300 milligrams DHA. This is very close to the omega-3 fatty acid profile of IsaOmega Supreme, which provides just over2 grams of fish oil with 600 milligrams EPA and 480 milligrams DHA.

Changes in the neuromuscular system brought on by aging include reduced muscle fiber size and loss of muscle mass. This is why there is a great need for people to counteract these changes as they age. Strength training is probably the best known way to reduce these changes, but adding fish oil to the mix may keep those muscles working at peak function even better.

Reference: Rodacki CL, Rodacki AL, Pereira G et al. Fish-oil supplementation enhances the effects of strength training in elderly women. Am J Clin Nutr 2012. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.111.021915.

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With the New Year underway, Isagenix has the tools to help you reach your health and fitness goals for 2012

With the start of the new year, our thoughts are on weight-and-fitness resolutions. The truth is, according to statistics, that about half of us will set health goals for ourselves, but almost all (90 percent) of us will get off track to achieve them by Valentine’s Day.

So, what will make the difference in 2012? Hard work and dedication are an obvious part of the answer, but consuming products and following systems that are nutritionally sound in design offer a convenient path to glory.

As 2012 kicks into gear, it’s worth taking a moment to remind how easy it is to stick to good health habits when the following tools offered by Isagenix are in place to help you along. In 2012, why not resolve to adopt any or all of the following?

Tool #1: Eat Quality Protein At Each Meal Every Day

Study after study is showing that quality protein is king when it comes to healthy weight loss. Not only does it help keep hunger at bay, but it also helps the body retain more lean muscle mass. Additionally, it was recently reported that protein is more energizing than carbohydrates or fats, which should make it a top choice at meal times for anyone looking to charge up and get fit. Why quality protein? Not all protein is the same when it comes to results. Whey protein is the right kind for promoting the greatest amount of muscle synthesis and fat burning. Pair a diet rich in quality protein with weight-resistance training and the body grows leaner. With such quality protein options like IsaLean Shake, Bars, or Soups, and with the addition of IsaPro, Isagenix has got you covered at every meal for the whey protein you need to look and feel your best.

Tool #2: Cleanse One Day Every Week

We all know the feeling: you “thought” you weren’t going to indulge at that dinner party you went to last night, but you had no control over the food served and it was indulgent to say the least. So now, it’s the next day and you feel like all is lost and you’re a terrible person. Wrong! Not with something called Cleanse Days to back you up. Studies have shown that intermittent calorie restriction (aka Cleanse Days), are just as effective as sticking to a long-term calorie-restricted diet for weight loss, but that the intermittent dieters (aka Cleansers) ended up with better levels of insulin sensitivity and oxidative stress markers. And the Cleansers probably enjoyed life a lot more too. What the study subjects didn’t have in their intermittent fasting, and what Isagenix Cleansers do, is Cleanse for Life, a botanical drink that offers nutritional support for the body, antioxidant protection, and the promotion of detoxification via herbs, vitamins, and minerals. We recommend cleansing one day every week and, on occasion, two days a week.

Tool #3: Reach for Adaptogens to Beat Stress

What word goes hand-in-hand with trying to lose weight and having to deal with all the road-blocks you run into? Stress. And when stress becomes more than just an occasional thing—as in you’re stressed all the time—then it’s a problem that needs to be fixed. What’s worse too, is that chronic levels of stress can be the worst thing for weight loss and fitness goals. Stress hormones are linked to increasing unsightly belly fat. This is where adaptogens come in. Clinically shown for more than 30 years now to increase the body’s ability to deal with stress, adaptogens are also known to improve attention and focus. Just take the meaning of the word, adaptogen, it means “to adjust”. Used in ancient times by the Chinese for soldiers going off to war, and more recently by Soviet cosmonauts and Olympic athletes, adaptogens are designed by nature to adjust your body so that stress rolls off your back and goals meant to stay on track stay where they should. Ionix Supreme, a drink made with potent amounts of adaptogens such as rhodiola, shisandra, and eleuthero, in addition to other beneficial herbs, is an advantageous way of getting the much-needed protection from stress, and keeping the track to fabulous fitness open and free of road blocks.

Tool #4: Get the Best Nutrition Has to Offer Daily

Probably the most overlooked factor in shaping up is getting adequate vitamins and minerals greatly needed by the body to operate at an optimal level. Add that to the fact that most weight-loss diets will be short on nutrients, and you could be headed to a body that will eventually become run down and not in the tip-top shape you had been hoping and trying for. Study after study is suggesting that for a sharp mind and great looking appearance, taking a multivitamin and certain other nutrients really helps. What’s more, another study showed that athletes who consume supplements such as CoQ10 suffer less muscle damage and recover faster. For all these benefits and then some, there’s Ageless Essentials Daily Pack for Men or Women with Product B. This is your chance for full-body nutritional support while undergoing any weight-loss or fitness routine. Health-improving doses of omega-3 fatty acids, CoQ10, resveratrol, vitamin D, vitamin C, and all the other vitamins and minerals is what you get in each convenient, A.M./P.M. packet. Plus, added just this past year, is the revolutionary Product B, which is designed with the latest science in telomere health and made to turn back the clock on aging.

Tool #5: Practice Healthy Snacking

Let’s face it: a craving is a craving is a craving. And they can be hard to get over. To do so, you’re going to need an arsenal of healthy snacks to have in the cupboard. Enter the Isagenix team of IsaDelight Plus, FiberSnacks!, Isagenix Snacks!, and SlimCakes. These healthy and low-calorie foods are just what are needed when the urge hits to eat in a bad way. Studies have shown that weight gain most certainly comes in an eating environment that allows uncontrolled snacking, because usually that snacking is on high-calorie, sugar-and-fat-laden treats. If you must snack, and healthy snacks are always welcome, then let the snacks of Isagenix go to work for you, not against you.

With Isagenix to support you, there’s no reason not to take 2012 by the reins and ride in a great, fabulously fit year. With the tools we can provide, and with your willingness to go all the way, it’s going to be one heck of a year. Happy New Year and may all your hopes and dreams for 2012 come true.

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Elderly slow brain decline with a diet high in omega-3s and vitamins and low in trans fat, study finds

Wisdom may come with age, but with each passing year many of us will have the reasonable worry of eventually losing our thinking skills and memory. Can nutrition guard the mind and keep it sharp with age?

A new study published in Neurology suggests that, yes, a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids and in vitamins C, D, E, and B vitamins can slow down the brain’s gradual reduction in size that is associated with learning and memory problems.

A diet high in trans fat, conversely, could worsen brain shrinkage. Trans fats effects on the brain are likely because of their harm to cardiovascular health.

The study evaluated blood nutrient levels of 104 healthy participants with an average age of 87, who had few risk factors related to Alzheimer’s disease. The subjects took tests for memory and thinking skills. The researchers also measured brain volume on 42 of the subjects using MRI scans.

The nutrient biomarkers detected in the plasma suggest that it accounted for a “significant degree” of the variance in brain volume and cognitive function, said Gene Bowman, ND, MPH, of Oregon Health & Science University in Portland and a member of the American Academy of Neurology.

Other variables included age, years of education, and high blood pressure.

“Obviously it is very exciting to think that people could potentially stop their brains from shrinking and keep them sharp by adjusting their diet,” Bowman said.

Omega-3s, vitamins, and trans fats

The omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is the predominant structural fatty acid in the brain. Most of DHA in the brain is acquired in infancy, but previous studies suggest that more DHA in the diet or through supplementation can maintain brain tissue in adulthood.

Several studies have found relationships between vitamins C, D, and E with protecting the brain from neurological decline. B vitamins have a special role in regulating levels of homocysteine, too much of which can harm the brain. Controlled trials have found supplementation with multivitamins and B vitamins support memory and thinking skills.

Small amounts of trans fats are found naturally in several foods, but are represented in the diet more heavily in the form of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. These are often included in packaged, fast, or fried foods such cookies, frozen pizza, and French fries.

Reference: Bowman GL, Silbert LC, Howieson D et al. Nutrient biomarker patterns, cognitive function, and MRI measures of brain aging. Neurology 2011. dio: Neurology WNL.0b013e3182436598

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