LOOPTECHS

Do Processed and Red Meat Cause Cancer?

On October 26, 2015 By jammy // No comments:

Today, the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer published a statement in The Lancet detailing its position on the carcinogenicity of processed and red meat (1). The statement, resulting from a meeting of 22 scientists from 10 countries, concluded that processed meat is a group 1 carcinogen, meaning that it is "definitely carcinogenic to humans". They also judged that red meat is a group 2A carcinogen, meaning that it probably causes cancer but the evidence isn't as strong. They're mostly referring to the links between processed and red meat and digestive tract cancer, particularly cancers of the colon and rectum.

These statements were met with a media frenzy, and the expected furor from the meat industry. The most surprising thing, for me, is that anyone would be surprised by the IARC's statement.

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Why Do Girls and Boys Reach Puberty Younger Than They Used To?

On October 16, 2015 By jammy // No comments:

Girls, and probably boys, are reaching puberty years younger than they did in our great-grandparents' generation. Why? There's no shortage of explanations, but the primary reason is probably quite simple.

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Will You Fill Out This Paleo Diet Survey?

On October 08, 2015 By jammy // No comments:

This week, I received an e-mail from a graduate student at Humboldt State University named May Patiño. She asked me to share her online research survey targeted to Paleo dieters. Here are the goals of her research, in her words:

The main objective of my study is exploring how the Paleo diet is being implemented in practice. I would like to assess the health outcomes of these practices, as well evaluate how closely they conform to, or deviate from ways this diet is being described in theoretical literature, and implemented in controlled diet trials. I also want to be able to use the data collected to help explain what is driving the popularity of the ancestral health movement. Ultimately, I would like this information to be used to better inform protocols for controlled diet trails.

The survey took me about 40 minutes to complete. You're welcome to participate whether or not you're on the Paleo diet. Please consider taking the survey, for the love of science!

Research Survey: The Paleo Diet in the US

That Time I Ate Most of a Large Pizza in One Sitting

On October 05, 2015 By jammy // No comments:

Two weeks ago, I had a brush with Extreme Eating. My experience illustrates some important principles of how the brain regulates appetite and body fatness-- and how it reacts to calorie-dense, highly rewarding foods.

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Out for Two Weeks

On September 15, 2015 By jammy // No comments:

I'll be out of town with limited internet until September 27th. Feel free to leave comments, but I won't be able to moderate them until I return. Sorry for the inconvenience!

How Much Does Sugar Contribute to Obesity?

On August 26, 2015 By jammy // No comments:

Last week, the British Medical Journal published a review article titled "Dietary Sugars and Body Weight", concluding that "free sugars" and sugar-sweetened beverages contribute to weight gain. But what are "free sugars", and why does the scientific literature suggest that the relationship between sugar intake and body weight isn't as straightforward as it may initially appear?

More Thoughts on the Recent Low-fat vs. Low-carb Metabolic Ward Study

On August 18, 2015 By jammy // No comments:

The recent low-carb vs. low-fat study has provoked criticism from parts of the diet-health community. Let's examine these objections and see how they hold up to scientific scrutiny.
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A New Human Trial Undermines the Carbohydrate-insulin Hypothesis of Obesity, Again

On August 13, 2015 By jammy // No comments:

The carbohydrate-insulin hypothesis of obesity states that carbohydrates (particularly refined carbohydrates and sugar) are the primary cause of obesity due to their ability to increase circulating insulin, and that the solution to obesity is to restrict carbohydrate intake. Numerous studies have tested this hypothesis, more or less directly, in animals and humans. Despite the fact that many of these studies undermine the hypothesis, it remains extremely popular, both in the popular media and to a lesser extent among researchers. A new human trial by Kevin Hall's research team at the US National Institutes of Health offers very strong evidence that the carbohydrate-insulin hypothesis of obesity is incorrect. At the same time, it offers surprising and provocative results that challenge prevailing ideas about diet and weight loss.

Refined Sugar Worsens Blood Lipid Markers of Cardiovascular Disease

On July 25, 2015 By jammy // No comments:

Blood lipids such as LDL and HDL cholesterol are markers of the biological processes that impact cardiovascular disease, and they are commonly measured to assess cardiovascular risk. When we think about the impact of food on blood lipids, dietary fat typically comes to mind. Yet a new study shows that dietary carbohydrate, specifically high-fructose corn syrup, can have a large impact on blood lipid markers of cardiovascular disease risk.

Introduction

Dietary fats have well-established impacts on blood lipids. For example, in short-term feeding trials, saturated fat tends to increase total cholesterol, increase LDL ("bad") cholesterol, and increase HDL ("good") cholesterol, while the omega-6 polyunsaturated fat linoleic acid decreases total cholesterol and decreases LDL cholesterol. For this reason, dietary advice to reduce cardiovascular risk tends to focus on dietary fat.

The hypothesis that refined dietary sugar is harmful to the cardiovascular system isn't new. In 1972, British physiologist and nutrition researcher John Yudkin published a classic book called Pure, White, and Deadly, which argued, among other things, that refined sugar is harmful to the cardiovascular system. Yet at the time, the supporting data were weak, and the hypothesis was never taken very seriously by the scientific community.

Peter Havel and his group at UC Davis have begun to breathe new life into this hypothesis with their rigorous work on the cardiovascular effects of dietary sugars.

What Properties Make a Food "Addictive"?

On July 07, 2015 By jammy // No comments:

Although the concept of food addiction remains controversial, there's no doubt that specific foods can provoke addiction-like behaviors in susceptible people. Yet not all foods have this effect, suggesting that it's related to specific food properties. A new study aims to identify the properties that make a food "addictive".

Introduction

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Food Reward Friday

On July 03, 2015 By jammy // No comments:

This week's luck winner... soy sauce!!

Food Reward Friday

On June 19, 2015 By jammy // No comments:

This week's lucky winner... the Pizza Hut Hot Dog Bites pizza!!!

Insulin Resistance Predicts a Variety of Age-related Diseases

On June 04, 2015 By jammy // No comments:

In the last post, I reviewed a study by Gerald Reaven's group showing that insulin resistance strongly predicts the risk of cardiovascular disease over a 5-year period. In 2001, Reaven's group published an even more striking follow-up result from the same cohort (1). This study shows that not only does insulin resistance predict cardiovascular disease risk, it also predicts a variety of age-related diseases, including hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and even overall mortality risk.

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