Tips from gaining health

Data from more than 180 research papers suggests fish oils could minimize the effects that junk food can have on the brain, a review by researchers at the University of Liverpool has shown.

The team at the Universitys Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease reviewed research from around the world to see whether there was sufficient data available to suggest that omega-3s had a role to play in aiding weight loss.

Research over the past 10 years has indicated that high-fat diets could disrupt neurogenesis, a process that generates new nerve cells, but diets rich in omega-3s could prevent these negative effects by stimulating the area of the brain that control feeding, learning and memory.

Data from 185 research papers revealed, however, that fish oils do not have a direct impact on this process in these areas of the brain, but are likely to play a significant role in stalling ined sugars and saturated fats ability to inhibit the brains control on the bodys intake of food.

Dr Lucy Pickavance, from the Universitys Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, explains: "Body weight is influenced by many factors, and some of the most important of these are the nutrients we consume. Excessive intake of certain macronutrients, the ined sugars and saturated fats found in junk food, can lead to weight gain, disrupt metabolism and even affect mental processing.

"These changes can be seen in the brains structure, including its ability to generate new nerve cells, potentially linking obesity to neurodegenerative diseases. Research, however, has suggested that omega-3 fish oils can reverse or even prevent these effects. We wanted to investigate the literature on this topic to determine whether there is evidence to suggest that omega-3s might aid weight loss by stimulating particular brain processes."

Research papers showed that on high-fat diets hormones that are secreted from body tissues into the circulation after eating, and which normally protect neurons and stimulate their growth, are prevented from passing into the brain by increased circulation of inflammatory molecules and a type of fat called triglycerides.

Molecules that stimulate nerve growth are also reduced, but it appears, in studies with animal models, that omega-3s restore normal function by interfering with the production of these inflammatory molecules, suppressing triglycerides, and returning these nerve growth factors to normal.

Dr Pickavance added: "Fish oils dont appear to have a direct impact on weight loss, but they may take the brakes off the detrimental effects of some of the processes triggered in the brain by high-fat diets. They seem to mimic the effects of calorie restrictive diets and including more oily fish or fish oil supplements in our diets could certainly be a positive step forward for those wanting to improve their general health."

The research is published in the British Journal of Nutrition. Dr Pickavance will also be discussing the effects of high-fat diets on meal patterns and the impacts of high-saturated fats on muscle composition at the 20th European Congress on Obesity at the Liverpool Arena and Convention Centre later this month.

Dr Pickavance will exhibit her work on obesity at Liverpool World Museum for members of the public on the 8 June, as part of the Universitys Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease Meet the Scientist event.

With high hope for people to lower their blood pressure by being on the DASH diet; more and more people are following this new trend in dieting. By being on the DASH diet; you will not only lower your blood pressure; you will also, greatly, reduce your risk of heart disease.

Moreover, this diet has been recommended by the American Heart Association, for those who have heart trouble or high blood pressure and are looking of a way to eat healthy diet. If this is you; you are in luck because this diet can also help you to loose weight and live longer.

If you do not know what DASH means; it is the acronyms for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. Furthermore, this diet is known to lower the blood your blood pressure, within 14 days of being on it.

Also, in the diet; you are provided with guidelines on how to eat healthy and on the amount of servings of food you should eat a day. The main goal of this diet is to raise the level of the intake of minerals, such as magnesium, calcium and potassium.

The increased intake of vegetables, while on this diet, is also important, which in turn, will reduce the need to eat unhealthy foods. As a result of this diet; weight loss will occur, due to the lessening of calorie intake. This diet is also against the intake of a lot of sodium-rich and processed foods, which will raise your blood pressure, thus making the diet ineffective. This is why such foods should be limited and the focus should be on eating whole grain and high fiber foods.

Surprisingly, the Mayo Clinic has endorsed this dirt, which, generally, supports a diet, filled with a lot of grapefruit eating and drinking. If you are looking to find out more about the DASH diet; you should find a book titled, "The DASH Diet Action Plan," by Marla Hiller. This book has everything you need to know about DASH dieting and can help you on your way to lowering your blood pressure and losing a lot of weight.

As with all diets, this is not meant to be a long-term solution. Follow a diet strictly as outlined and as long as suggested. Dont overdue it and stop it when the diet plan ends or when you dont feel well or dont see any results at all. Always consult your doctor first.

Lance Thorington is a professional writer and online publisher. If you want to know more about the pros and cons of a diet meal plan [http://www.dietmeal-plan.com/] please click here to read more.

Article Source: The Effects of Being on a Dash Diet

Health for human | There may be some of the readers who have been using an electric cigarette. Electronic cigarettes have been marketed as safer alternatives. But the study found evidence of this electric cigarette can cause changes in the airways users in quick time.

Researchers found after 5 minutes using an electric cigarette, users showed signs of airway constriction as measured by several types of tests of respiratory and inflammation. The results of this study are reported in the journal Chest.

"This is the first evidence showing that an electric cigarette can cause acute physiological effects in a very fast," said study chairman Constantine I. Vardavas of the Center for Global Tobacco Control at the Harvard School of Public Health, as quoted by Reuters on Friday (01/06/2012).

In this new study, Vardavas and colleagues in Athens involving 30 healthy men who smoked cigarettes electric cigarette to see if this affects the airways of users.

It turned out that in the short term, smoking has been estimated to cause and effect in the long term can cause lung diseases such as emphysema or cancer. However, research on long-term effects are still needed.