Entries by Chet Zelasko

Fat Crash-Test Dummies

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A company made headlines this week, and while I’m never really fond of science by headline, this one is a little different. This week, we’ve found out that we’re fatter than ever and that most of us are storing our fat in our abdominal region (1,2); because of those trends, Humanetics, the company that manufactures crash-test dummies, is designing new dummies that reflect the obesity rates in the U.S. and Canada.

I think it’s a good idea. The old crash-test dummies were based on a body that weighed 167 pounds. That model . . .

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The Problem with Belly Fat

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Let’s take a closer look at abdominal obesity: why it’s worse than having fat more generally distributed, and what could explain the increase (1,2).

There are two types of fat storage: subcutaneous and visceral. Subcutaneous means the fat is stored just under the skin. Though it’s flabby and not great to look at, it’s more a storage location and not metabolically active for the most part. Intra-abdominal fat or visceral fat is more metabolically active. While scientists don’t really know why, conditions such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and insulin resistance are . . .

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How Fat Are We?

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Sometimes I miss Jay Leno. There were times he would ask a question such as “How fat are we?” and hit one-liner after one-liner. While his jokes were usually outrageous, they were indicative of where we are in the U.S. today. I’m going to review a couple of studies this week and believe me, there are no jokes in the latest research.

To answer Jay’s question, we’re fatter than we’ve ever been (1). Based on statistics from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the percentage of Americans who are overweight is 68.5 . . .

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Taurine and Caffeine

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Today we’re wrapping up our look at the potential benefits of adding more taurine to your diet. One of the topics I get asked about most often is the effect of caffeine and taurine in combination on the heart. The concern is that energy drinks contain both nutrients; would that have negative effects on people with heart issues such as hypertension? Let’s take a look at a recent research review.

The authors of the review paper examined the available research on the potential interactions between caffeine and taurine because of the increase in energy-drink consumption. The effects . . .

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Taurine and Diabetes

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We’re continuing our look at taurine and some interesting research on its potential benefits. Today, we’re looking at taurine and diabetes but let me be clear: this is mostly theoretical at this point; there has been substantial animal research but not as many human trials as I would like. Still I think it’s worth talking about now.

There are three areas that are affected substantially if you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes: the heart and cardiovascular system, the eyes, and the hands and feet. In this review paper, researchers found an association between diabetes and . . .

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Taurine and Energy Drinks

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Taurine is typically found in energy drinks, but many people don’t understand how it works. Let’s start with the obvious: how could taurine help with increasing energy levels in the body?

In a review article, the authors explained the role of the beta-amino acid taurine in energy production (1): not supplying calories, but having a role in the production of energy inside the mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cell. It’s an extremely complicated biochemical process, but let’s see if we can break it down into simpler terms.

Taurine contributes to the production of proteins inside . . .

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Extracts vs. Foods: Tomatoes, Lycopene, and CVD

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In today’s look at foods versus extracts, researchers examined a series of studies on the effects of whole-tomato products versus the phytonutrient lycopene on markers of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Tomatoes vs. Lycopene
Researchers reviewed well over 100 published studies that used either tomatoes (both raw and cooked) or the phytonutrient lycopene (1). Their objective was to see whether the whole food or the extract was more effective in reducing markers for CVD such as blood pressure, inflammation, and serum lipids. Based on a medical model of treatment and results, they felt the research was underwhelming on the effects . . .

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Extracts vs. Foods: Grapefruit Juice and Weight

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Today we continue to look at the health benefits of food extracts versus eating the actual foods. Today’s extract could be considered both: grapefruit juice. I’m putting this one in the extracts category because of the way the researchers prepared the grapefruit juice. Here’s the story.

To say that this was a complicated study is an understatement. I’ll give you the essence of it and the results. Researchers centrifuged fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice to remove all particulates; then they concocted several different mixtures, adding varying amounts of saccharin, sugar, metformin, and a phytonutrient from grapefruit called . . .

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Extracts vs. Foods: Broccoli and Autism

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There have been a few studies published lately that examine foods and extracts from foods used for specific health conditions. I’m going to review three such studies this week and wrap things up by considering the question of what works best, extracts or foods, or whether there’s another possibility. Let’s start with an extract from broccoli called sulforaphanes and it’s affect on autism spectral disorder (ASD).

Sulforaphane, a phytonutrient found in broccoli sprouts, seems to stress the body in positive ways that help us deal with insults caused by toxins and other substances. These effects also . . .

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Dietary Supplements: More Scary Headlines

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In Thursday’s message, I talked about a recent study on the stimulant DMBA found in pre-workout dietary supplements. While I think there’s reason for concern with this untested product, I also think the headlines are deceiving: “Untested Stimulant Found in Dietary Supplements” and “Potentially Dangerous Stimulant Common in Diet Supplements.” The headlines suggest that DMBA or AMP citrate can be found in a lot of different dietary supplements. That’s a blatant misrepresentation of the truth, and it begins with the use of the phrase dietary supplement.

If you’re about to run to see if your . . .

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