Category: Health Issues

By Sarah Knapton,

The Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD) improves longevity while cutting the risk of cancer and diabetes by half, scientists have found

A new diet could add years to life by actually slowing down the ageing process, scientists believe Photo: Getty Images
Sarah Knapton By Sarah Knapton, Science Editor5:00PM BST 18 Jun 2015 Comments271 Comments
A five day diet which mimics fasting could slow down ageing, add years to life, boost the immune system and cut the risk of heart disease and cancer, scientists believe.

The plan which restricts calories to between one third and a half of normal intake has been developed by academics at the University of Southern California.
Last year the same team discovered that fasting can regenerate the entire immune system, bringing a host of long-term health benefits.
But now they have found that a calorie-restricted diet comprising of vegetable soups and chamomile tea has the same affect. And dieters only need to follow the Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD) for five days a month, eating what they like for the rest of the time.
“Strict fasting is hard for people to stick to, and it can also be dangerous, so we developed a complex diet that triggers the same effects in the body,’ said Professor Valter Longo, USC Davis School of Gerontology and director of the USC Longevity Institute.
“I’ve personally tried both, and the fasting mimicking diet is a lot easier and also a lot safer.
“I think based on the markers for ageing and disease in humans it has the potential to add a number of years of life but more importantly to have a major impact on diabetes, cancer, heart disease and other age-related disease.”
Day one of the diet comprises:
10 per cent protein, 56 per cent fat and 34 per cent carbohydrate, making 1,090 calories
Days two to five:
Nine per cent protein, 44 per cent fat and 47 per cent carbohydrate making 725 calories
When humans tested out the regimen, within three months they had reduced biomarkers linked to ageing, diabetes, cancer and heart disease as well as cutting overall body fat.
For 25 days a month, study participants went back to their regular eating habits — good or bad They were not asked to change their diet and still saw positive changes.

Camomile tea and vegetable soup were highlighted as foods to eat in the new regimen
Feeding mice the equivalent restricted diet elevated the number of regenerative stem cells in the organs, including the brain where it encouraged the creation of new neurons which improved memory and learning.
When fed to middle aged mice, the diet also reduced the incidence of cancer, boosted the immune system, reduced inflammatory diseases, slowed bone mineral density loss and improved the cognitive abilities of older mice tracked in the study.
The researchers think it works by slashing a hormone which encourages growth, and has been linked to cancer susceptibility. Essentially it tricks the body into ageing more slowly.
“It’s about reprogramming the body so it enters a slower aging mode, but also rejuvenating it through stem cell-based regeneration,’ Professor Longo added.
“It’s not a typical diet because it isn’t something you need to stay on.”
• Statins save fewer lives than exercising and eating sensibly, say scientists
• Eat within 12-hour window to lose weight, say scientists
• No link found between saturated fat and heart disease
Previous research has shown that cutting calories not only prevents weight gain but also prolongs good health and longevity.
However British health experts said that people may find it easier to just alter daily calorie intake rather than embarking on the intense five-day diet.
Naveed Sattar, professor of Metabolic Medicine at the University of Glasgow said: “The best way to alter weight trajectory or to lose weight is to make permanent and sustainable changes in ones dietary composition so that less high density calories like cakes, biscuits, crisps.
“This way, folk can eat three meals a day and still have total less calorie intake than they had previously. This, for me, is better for mind and body, and critically, more sustainable.”

The Fasting Mimicking Diet brings a range of health benefits as well as weight loss
Prof Lynne Cox, Associate Professor of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, said the results look promising.
“ For many years, caloric restriction (cutting out 30-40% of your calories each and every day) has looked the best bet for improving health outcomes during ageing, but this new diet appears much easier to stick to than caloric restriction – in humans, it involves taking low protein plant-based meal replacements that provided a third to a half of normal calorie intake for five days every month over a cycle of three months,” she said.
“What is noteworthy here is that the study incorporates a whole host of experiments from model organisms as simple as yeast cells, through mice and into a small controlled clinical trial in humans. All of the results point in one direction: periodically mimicking fasting leads to marked decreases in risk factors for diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, and, in mice, improved short and long term memory were observed.
“Yes, it needs more tests and in some cases different ways of measuring outcomes. But the trends look interesting. If over a longer time human findings match up to the results in mice then this type of intervention has the potential to improve health – though it is likely to be more relevant to young and middle-aged people as drastic metabolic changes may not be well-tolerated in older people.”
Professor Longo believes that for most normal people, the FMD can be done every three to six months, depending on the abdominal circumference and health status.
For obese subjects or those with elevated disease risk factors, the FMD could be recommended by the physician as often as once every two weeks.
His group is testing its effect in a randomized clinical trial, which will be completed soon, with more than 70 subjects.
‘If the results remain as positive as the current ones, I believe this FMD will represent the first safe and effective intervention to promote positive changes associated with longevity and health span, which can be recommended by a physician,’ Longo said.
Despite its positive effects, Longo cautioned against water-only fasting and warned even about attempting the fasting mimicking diet without first consulting a doctor and seeking their supervision throughout the process.
‘Not everyone is healthy enough to fast for five days, and the health consequences can be severe for a few who do it improperly,’ he said. ‘Water-only fasting should only be done in a specialized clinic and can increase the incidence of gallstones in women at risk if done improperly.”

The study was published in the journal Cell Metabolism funded by the National Institute on Aging.

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From The TBN Staff: The intent of this article is to help the members of the forum to become more aware of issues we may face as we age and to highlight Prostate Cancer and Iodine. We don’t pretend to be medical experts yet many of us have faced this nasty adversary and overcome. Yet, others, not so fortunate. Please take a minute to review this article and perhaps comment or better yet share your information or direct us to research another avenue overcome this foe.

Updated by: Andrew Weil, M.D., and Brian Becker, M.D., on January 10, 2013

Prostate Cancer and Iodine

Normal cells tightly control apoptosis (the death of cells that occurs as a normal and controlled part of an organism’s growth or development) in order to maintain homeostasis (the tendency toward a relatively stable equilibrium between interdependent elements, esp. as maintained by physiological processes).
Cancer cells that avoid apoptosis continue to proliferate uncontrollably, which results in an increased tumor mass. Resisting apoptosis is a key process in cancer development and progression.

Iodine appears to work for prostate cancer as prostate cancer is similar to breast cancer in many ways. Indeed, it likely will help with most cancers. Also higher doses of iodine are required for inflammatory breast cancer.
Iodine lack is known to be a factor in the development of breast and prostate cancer. Sixty patients with a variety of cancers were studied. All sixty patients were found to have serious iodine deficiency.
Another physician has seen a case of prostate cancer go into remission after taking Iodoral and supplements.
As well we know that large doses of intravenous iodine are harmless which makes one wonder what effect this would have on cancer growth.”
According to Dr Guy Abraham Iodine is detected in every organ and tissue in the body. And so essential is it for life that a deficiency in it will bring a wide variety of afflictions (including cancer) that are difficult to trace back to the trace mineral,iodine. It used to be routinely added to bread as a supplement up until 20 years ago.

What is iodine?

Iodine is a non-metallic mineral which humans require in trace amounts for proper development and growth. It exists in most soils, and is taken up by plants which are in turn ingested by humans and animals. Most of the body’s stores of iodine are located in the thyroid gland, which requires iodine for the synthesis of thyroid hormones.

Why is iodine necessary?

Iodine is used by the thyroid gland to produce hormones which regulate all key metabolic functions including blood cell production and nerve and muscle function. Because our body heat is primarily derived from muscle metabolism, these hormones also regulate body temperature. Topically applied iodine is also useful to help prevent wounds from becoming infected, and iodine tablets dissolved in water provide an inexpensive way to purify water in emergency situations.

What are the signs of a deficiency?

Signs of iodine deficiency include an enlarged thyroid gland (goiter), and weight gain, as well as symptoms of hypothyroidism such as fatigue and intolerance of cold. Chronic iodine deficiency can lead to health problems such as thyroid gland dysfunction, and neurologic, gastrointestinal, and skin abnormalities. Iodine deficiency in pregnant or nursing mothers can result in deficiency during fetal and child development, and is the most common cause of preventable brain damage in the world.

How much, and what kind, does an adult need?

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), adults 18 and older should get 150 mcg daily; pregnant women 18 and older, 220 mcg; and lactating women, 290 mcg.

How much does a child need?

The NIH recommends a daily intake of:
• infants 0-12 months, 50 mcg
• children 1-8 years, 90 mcg
• children /young teens 9-13,120 mcg
• teens 14-18, 150 mcg.

How do you get enough iodine from foods?

Good dietary sources of iodine include iodized salt; dairy products (animals secrete dietary iodine into milk and animal feed contains iodine); and seafood including fish, shellfish, seaweed, kelp, sardines and canned tuna. Plants grown on iodine-rich soil are also good sources. If you are eating a healthy, balanced, varied diet, you’re probably getting enough iodine and don’t need to use iodized salt.

Are there any risks associated with too much iodine?

Signs and symptoms of acute iodine poisoning include burning of the mouth, throat, and stomach; fever; nausea; vomiting; diarrhea; a weak pulse; and coma. Excessive iodine intake can be toxic to those with kidney disease or tuberculosis, and may increase the risk of thyroid papillary cancer. There is an unhealthy practice of using iodine tablets to “boost” thyroid function, and toxicity can result. You should never take iodine tablets without a physician’s recommendation to do so.

References:
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2011/oct2011_The-Silent-Epidemic-of-Iodine-Deficiency_01.htm
http://www.theiodineproject.webs.com/cancerandiodine.htm
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23321072
http://tuberose.com/Iodine.html
Iodoral® is a Tablet form of Lugol solution and is available in 2 strengths: 12.5mg/Tablet and 50mg/Tablet, each strength is available in 2 sizes: 90 Tablets and 180 Tablets of 12.5mg: and 30 Tablets and 90 Tablets of 50mg
One 12.5 mg. tablet of Iodoral supplies an amount of total elemental iodine, comparable to the average daily intake of this essential element by mainland Japanese, a population with a very low prevalence of fibrocystic disease of the breast and breast cancer.

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

Iodine is an essential element. Although its main function is in the production of thyroid hormones by the thyroid gland, other organs in the body have a need for iodine in order to function normally.
Several studies have demonstrated a relationship between low iodine intake and fibrocystic disease of the breast (FDB), both in women and laboratory animals. The minimum amount of iodine required for control and prevention of FDB is equivalent to 0.1mg/kg body weight/day. For example, for a 50 kg woman, the daily amount of iodine would be 5 mg. The thyroid gland needs iodide to function properly. The original study done 80 years ago to control goiter in adolescent girls used 9 mg iodide daily.

During the early 1900’s, the iodine/iodide solution called Lugol solution was used extensively, effectively and safely in medical practice, for both low activity and above normal activity of the thyroid gland. The recommended daily intake for iodine supplementation was 2 to 6 drops of Lugol solution containing 12.5 to 37.5 mg total iodide. That amount was mentioned as lately as 1995 in a book on Pharmaceutical Sciences (5). Several investigators have shown convincing evidence connecting inadequate iodine intake and breast cancer. Japanese women living in Japan consumed a daily average of 13.8 mg total elemental iodine and they experience one of the lowest prevalence (risk) for breast, ovarian and uterine cancer. In the 1960’s, one slice of bread in the USA contained the full RDA of 0.15 mg iodine. The risk for breast cancer was then 1 in 20. Over the last 2 decades, iodine was replaced by bromine in the bread making process. Bromine blocks thyroid function and may interfere with the anticancer effect of iodine on the breast. Now, the risk for breast cancer is 1 in 8 and increasing 1% per year.

The RDA limits for vitamins and minerals were established after World War II. One of the last essential elements included in the RDA system was iodine, established in 1980 and confirmed in 1989 (8). The RDA for iodine was based on the amount of iodine/iodide needed to prevent goiter, extreme stupidity and hypothyroidism. The optimal requirement of the whole human body for iodine has never been studied. Therefore, the optimal amount of this element for physical and mental wellbeing is unknown. Based on demographic studies, the mainland Japanese consumed an average of 13.8 mg daily and they are one of the healthiest people on planet earth. Lugol solution is a time-tested preparation with a proven track record for over 150 years. Two drops contain 12.5 mg iodine/iodide, an amount very close to the 13.8 mg average intake of mainland Japanese.
II. RATIONALE FOR THIS
FORMULATION

Administration of iodine/iodide in liquid solution is not very accurate, may stain clothing, has an unpleasant taste and causes gastric irritation. Iodoral® is a precisely quantified tablet form containing 5 mg iodine and 7.5 mg iodide as the potassium salt. To prevent gastric irritation, the iodine/iodide preparation was absorbed unto a colloidal silica excipient; and to eliminate the unpleasant taste of iodine, the tablets were coated with a thin film of pharmaceutical glaze.
III. SUGGESTED USE

The suggested daily amount is 1-4 tablets/day as recommended by your physician. Work closely with your physician while on the Iodoral® program. Report to your physician any history of thyroid surgery and/or radiation, chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis (Hashimoto), and any previous problem with your thyroid. Before starting Iodoral®, your physician (He/She = He) will order blood tests for hematology, blood chemistry and thyroid functions. He will also perform an ultrasound of your thyroid to measure the size and appearance of your thyroid. Depending on the results of the thyroid function tests and ultrasound, he may order some blood tests for thyroid antibodies. If you are taking thyroid hormones, let your physician know about it. Be aware that Iodoral® enhances the response of your body to thyroid hormones.

TBN Staff: We came across this Joke and just had to share. Followed by the article, should cause all of us to reconsider our approach to the daily grind or routine. After all it is about the quality and length of our lives!

A bald, retired Army helicopter pilot walked into a jewelry store in a local mall this past Friday evening with a beautiful much younger girl at his side. He told the jeweler he was looking for a special ring for his girlfriend. The jeweler looked through his stock and brought out a $5,000 ring. The pilot said, ‘No, I’d like to see something bigger and more special.’
At that statement, the jeweler went to his special stock and brought another ring over. ‘Here’s a stunning ring at only $40,000’ the jeweler said. The lady’s eyes sparkled and her whole body trembled with excitement.The crusty old pilot seeing the huge rock said, ‘We’ll take it.’
The jeweler asked how payment would be made and the pilot stated, ‘Well, by check. I know you need to make sure my check is good, so I’ll write it now, and you can call the bank Monday to verify the funds, and I’ll pick up the ring Monday afternoon.’
On Monday morning, the jeweler angrily phoned the pilot and said, ‘Hey buddy, there was only $25 in your account!’
‘I know’, said the old pilot, ‘But, let me tell you about MY GREAT WEEKEND!!!!
(Yeah, that could have been you)

By Steven M. Sultanoff, Ph.D.
Originally published in
Therapeutic Humor, The Newsletter of the American Association for Therapeutic Humor, Fall, 1998, Vol. XII, 5, p. 1-2. DATELINE: Year 2010

The Health Benefits of Humor Unfold – Humor Reduces the Risk of Heart Disease

After years of controversy about the physiological benefits of humor in one’s lifestyle, researchers have concluded that incorporating humor into one’s day to day responses to events reduces the risk of heart disease, heart attack, and premature death.

Based on research conducted during a ten year period from the year 2000 through 2010, it has been established that individuals who employ humor as a “serious” part of their everyday lives have fewer physical complaints (associated with heart disease), less arterial blockage, fewer angioplasties, fewer heart attacks, and greater longevity when compared to subjects who exhibited a depressive, anxious, or angry lifestyle. It appears that the experience of “pleasant” or mirthful emotions counteracts the deleterious, long-term physical effects of distressing emotions.

Measuring the Humorous Experience

Humorous lifestyle was measured as a person’s ability to receive humor as a cognitive, emotional, and/or physiological experience.
The cognitive component of the humor experience consisted of integrating a “comic vision” into one’s perception of the world. Use of humor to gain perspective, break rigid thinking patterns, and expand life’s options was evaluated. One’s ability to understand and appreciate humor (sometimes referred to as the “experience of wit”) was also explored as part of this cognitive aspect of the humor experience.
Researchers also rated the emotional component of a humorous lifestyle (sometimes referred to as “mirth”). The extent to which humor “lifts one’s spirits” and is felt as joy or pleasure was considered an indicator of this emotional experience.
The physiological component of humor was evaluated as the ability to laugh at life’s encounters. The depth of laughter from a giggle to a belly laugh was rated to assess an individual’s physiological reaction to daily events.
These cognitive, emotional, and/or physiological experiences were measured as indictors of one’s humor quotient. Individuals who were able to generate these kinds of humor reactions to life’s stressors were those individuals who achieved the physiological benefits of reduced heart disease.

Research on Emotions and Health

To fully understand the context of this recent study, we must consider the research reported in the mid-1990’s that demonstrated a significant relationship between chronic depression, anxiety, anger, and/or stress and heart disease (Consumer Reports on Health 1996a, 1996b, 1997a, 1997b, 1997c, 1998; Mind/Body Health, 1996a, 1996c, 1997; Hope Health Letter, 1998).
Studies published from 1996 to 1998 indicated that chronically depressed individuals were 70% more likely to have a heart attack when compared with their non-depressed counterparts (Mind/Body Health, 1996b). In addition, individuals who were depressed cost managed care companies twice as much in medical expenses as individuals who were not depressed (Mind/Body Health, 1996b).
Highly anxious individuals exhibited greater thickening of the arterial walls and were more often in need of repeated angioplasty compared to those who were less anxious. In the mid-1990’s it was estimated that anxiety-related disorders cost $15 billion annually in direct service costs–such as medical, administrative, research, and support services; and $50 billion in indirect costs–such as lost or reduced productivity, family care giving, illness, and death (Mind/Body Health, 1997).
Chronically angry individuals were found to have an increased risk of heart attack and death. In fact, these individuals were four to five times more likely to die from a heart attack compared to those who experienced significantly less anger (Williams and Williams, 1993).
Finally, individuals experiencing elevated levels of stress had greater arterial blockage when compared to individuals experiencing less stress. Researchers concluded that it was not the specific situation that was stressful, but it was the meaning of the situation to the individual that determined the amount of stress experienced by each individual (Hope Health Letter, 1998).

Rationale

The data reported in the mid-1990’s linking emotional distress to physical ailments–heart disease in particular–spawned the research during the years 2000 to 2010. The impact of humor was investigated further because of its apparent and reported impact on the emotional state of individuals. Since this research clearly linked distressing emotions with increased risk for heart disease and premature death, researchers hypothesized that a lifestyle that lowers distressing emotions could potentially lower these health risks and reduce premature mortality.
Anecdotal evidence has long supported the proposition that distressing emotions and humor cannot occupy the same psychological space (Sultanoff, 1997). Depressed individuals report that when they laugh their depression dissolves. Individuals who tend to be anxious frequently report that experiencing humor is a way to better cope and reduce anxiety.
Most of us have experienced situations where we have been angry in a particular situation, and that another person has attempted to use humor to reduce our anger. As we receive the humor, our anger usually dissipates. Sometimes we are not ready to “let go” of our anger and therefore–when in this angry state react to humor with a comment such as, “Don’t make me laugh; I still want to be angry.”

Conclusions

Based on these reports that humor reduces emotional discomfort, researchers proposed that a humorous lifestyle increases an individual’s ability to more effectively manage emotional distress—therefore reducing the damaging physical impact of these potentially harmful emotions.
The results of the research reported in 2010 indicate that a humorous approach to daily life creates healthful changes in cognitive (perspective to the world), emotional, and physiological states. It is these changes that researchers believe lead to improved physical health–particularly related to heart disease. Researchers further concluded that individuals who incorporate a humorous lifestyle into their daily lives are more likely to improve their overall physical and emotional health, thus maintaining optimal wellness.

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