Amino Acids Facts For Muscle Gain and Fat Loss

Written by Jeff Behar, MS, MBA

Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and muscle tissue. All types of physiological processes relating to sport - energy, recovery,muscle / strength gains and fat loss, as well as mood and brain function - are intimately and critically linked to amino acids. It's no wonder amino acids have become major players in athletes' supplementation, especially among bodybuilders. There are approximately 23 amino acids 9 of which are considered essential amino acids (EAA), also sometimes referred to as indispensable amino acids (IAA). Essential amino acids (EAA) are coined this term because they are essential to the body and must be supplied from some food or supplement source. The remaining 14 amino acids while often classified simply as nonessential amino acids are still essential to the body, they are just not needed from food or supplement sources because the body does have the ability to synthesizet hem from other amino acids. For this reason the non essential amino acids are now more correctly term indispensable amino acids (DAA) or conditionally indispensable amino acids. Amino Acids Essential Amino Acids Nonessential Amino Acids Histidine Alanine Isoleucine Arginine Leucine Aspartic Acid Lysine Cysteine Methionine Cystine Phenylalanine Glutamic Acid Tryptophan Glutamine Valine Glycine Threonine Proline   Serine   Tyrosine   The Protein Amino Acids Connection As mentioned earlier, Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and muscle tissue.   Besides water, protein comprises the largest portion of our body weight, and as such, the body's requirement for protein is directly related to good health. Every cell in the body requires protein. Protein is found in muscle, bone, cartilage and blood, as well as enzymes and hormones. Protein essentially allows muscles to contract and hold water, gives hair and skin a protective coating, and provides the rigid framework of bones and teeth. Protein also helps tissue form,regulates the body's water and acid-base balance, and stimulates the production of antibodies. Adequate protein intake is vital for virtually everything from healthy muscles, tendons, ligaments, organs, glands, hair, nails,and most body fluids. Additionally, the central nervous system cannot function properly without amino acids, which are necessary for the brain to both send and receive information.  Essential Amino Acids If any essential amino acid is low or missing, the effectiveness of all others will be proportionately reduced. Amino Acids and Protein Quality You may not give it much thought when you have your meal that what you eat helps determine not only how you look but how your body functions. In the case of protein and protein quality the balance of amino acids in your food is vital to how your body will function. It is the ratio of the indispensable amino acids (IAA) and dispensable amino acids (DAA) that will determine the protein quality of your food. While the amount of IAAs are generally of greater importance, the DAAs are also significant because they're synthesized too slowly to support maximum growth. Even if a source has a perfect amino acid profile for a given individual and lifestyle, another important factor - to what extent these acids are actually delivered to the tissues when needed - must be considered.That, in turn, raises the issues of digestion, absorption, actual bioavailability and the potential value of supplementation. Types of Amino Acid Supplements Most amino acid supplements are derived from egg, animal or yeast protein. Amino acids are available in a variety of forms ranging from single to combination to free form to peptide bonded to branched chain. They can be purchased as capsules, tablets or powders. Peptide Bonded Amino Acids Peptide bonded amino and carboxyl groups combine to form "peptide"bonded. A peptide bonded amino acid, then consists of two or more typesof amino acids linked by peptide bonds. Free Form Amino Acids "Free form" amino acids are amino acids that are not bound to any other amino acid.The value of free-form amino acids is first and foremost that they don't require digestion. The term 'free-form' means exactly that: They are free of chemical bonds to other molecules and so move quickly through thestomach and into the small intestine, where they're rapidly absorbedinto the bloodstream. Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) and Muscle Growth The phrase branched-chain amino acids or BCAAs refer to the amino acids having aliphatic side-chains that are non-linear. These are leucine, isoleucine and valine. The combination of these three essential amino acids make up approximately 1/3 of skeletal muscle in the human body,and play an important role in protein synthesis, muscle development and muscle recvovery. Amino Acid Studies, Which are Best? In recent studies, many companies have advertised that free form amino acids are the purest and most biologically active source of  amino acids on the market. In some circumstances this may be true. Other companies tell you that the peptide bonded are the best. Sometimes they are. Although there are some studies to support the claim that peptides are adsorbed more quickly, it does not necessarily means that peptide bonded are the best. While free form may not be absorbed as quickly in the small intestines, the body has to break the peptide bonded down into single molecules before they can be absorbed into the bloodstream, and should be taken with meals. This process takes approximately one and half hours where as free form are already at this stage, and should be taken on a empty stomach. In my personal opinion I believe that both are useful and beneficiary for growth and development because each one is unique in its own way.Therefore both should be taken for optimal results.The basic rule that I always tell my clients is Use peptide bond amino acids for improving the protein efficiency ratio of dietary protein. This means having a few with each meal. Why? (1) it will increase the biological value of your meal/add more protein that is easily available and (2) Peptide bond Amino acids are usually less expensive than free form. Use free form amino acids immediately prior and BCAAs immediately after weight training.  Free form and branched chain amino acids when used properly can help maximize muscle growth and recovery following intense exercise. During intense physical exercise like weight training, stress on muscle fibers can cause damage. This activity utilized BCAAs and if you do not have extra amounts they will be derived from complete proteins and muscle (called catabolism) and render the rest incomplete and unusable. By increasing the amount of BCAAs prior to and immediately following weight training you will be supplying the body with what it needs as a result of resistance (weight) training. This will prevent muscle breakdown (catabolism) and promote a anabolic (muscle building) state. Several studies show that athletes who supplement with free form amino acids can get IAAs, high in BCAA content, to the muscles much more effectively. If your are in a intense training regime try consuming free form (6,000 -8,000) before and branched chain after (2,000-4,000). Amino Acids for Energy - The Creatine Connection Many misconceptions exist about the muscle contraction and the use of energy substrates during heavy during heavy, high-intensity weight training. When you're engaged in a repetitive power workout, a substantial portion of your energy comes from non carbohydrate sources.When muscle contracts, it uses its stores of adenosine triphosphate (ATP, a substance vital to the energy processes of all living cells)for the first few seconds. ATP is used to immediately replenish these stores is creatine phosphate. Creatine Phosphate is made from three amino acids: arginine, methionine and glycine. To keep Creatine Phosphate and ATP levels high, these amino acids must be elevated in the bloodstream. Traditionally, these proteins have been supplied by food sin the diet. Elevating levels of these amino acids or of Creatine Phosphate with conventional foods takes a great deal of time (for digestion) and isn't specific, typically providing levels of fats and carbohydrates that mayor may not be desired. The use of free-form amino acids, alone and in combination with creatine supplements, can provide directed source of energy for power and growth. The recent explosion of creatine supplements in the market attests to its value to hard training bodybuilders and other strength / power athletes. Amino Acids and Fat Loss In fat loss, two major processes must occur: 1) the mobilization and circulation of stored fats in the body must increase; and 2) fats must be transported and converted to energy at the powerhouse site of cells,the mitochondria. Several nutrients can assist in the conversion of fat to energy, including lipotropic agents such as choline, inositol and the indispensable  amino acids (IAA) methionine which, in sufficient quantities, can help improve the transport and metabolism of fat. Supplementation with complete indispensable amino acids (IAA) mixtures, BCAAs and glutamine can also help keep calorie and food volume down while providing targeted support directly to the muscles, liver and immune systems so critical to optimizing body composition. Reducing Muscle Catabolism The human body has the innate ability to break down muscle tissue for use as an energy source during heavy exercise. This muscle catabolism can cause muscle soreness, shrinkage of muscle tissue and may even lead to injury. A primary cause of muscle catabolism is a biochemical process within the body known as gluconeogenosis. Gluconeogenosis means producing or generating glucose from non carbohydrate sources. The part of this reaction that of importance to bodybuilders is known as the glucose - alanine cycle, in which BCAAs are stripped from the muscle tissue and parts of them are converted to the amino acid alanine, which is transported to the liver and converted into glucose. By consuming supplemental BCAA's. the body does not have to breakdown muscle tissue to derive extra energy. A study conducted recently at the School of Human Biology, University of Guelph, Onterio, Canada,confirmed that the use of BCAA's (up to 4 grams) during and after exercise can result in a significant reduction of muscle breakdown during exercise. Bottom Line Amino acids are essential to life. Understanding which amino acids are most beneficial and at which time can help improve athletic performance, strength and help improve body composition in a more efficient way and maximizes your desired results!

Outsmart Cancer

The Wide-Ranging Influence of Gut Microbes on Your Mental and Physical Health

 

There are 100 trillion cells in your body, but 90% of the genetic material is not yours. It is from the bacteria, fungi, viruses and other microorganisms, i.e. your microflora. Gut microbes are big in the news lately, as researchers continue to discover the important roles these tiny organisms play in your overall health and well-being. We now know that your microflora influence your:

• Genetic expression
• Immune system
• Weight, and
• Risk of numerous chronic and acute diseases, from diabetes to cancer

Most recently, research has shown that a certain set of these microbes may actually influence the activity of genes in your brain – and the parts they play are not small parts. They may work to manipulate your behavior, and your memory as well.

Microbes Manipulate Your Mind

According to a recent article in The Guardian¹, certain species of gut bacteria have been found to influence gene activity in your brain. Some of this research was published in 2011.² Mice lacking gut bacteria were found to engage in "high-risk behavior," and this altered behavior was accompanied by neurochemical changes in the mouse brain.
According to the authors, microbiota (your gut flora) may play a role in the communication between your gut and your brain, and:

"Acquisition of intestinal microbiota in the immediate postnatal period has a defining impact on the development and function of the gastrointestinal, immune, neuroendocrine and metabolic systems. For example, the presence of gut microbiota regulates the set point for hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity."

But they also discovered other differences between the mice with normal gut flora and those lacking gut bacteria. When examining the animals' brains, they discovered a number of genetic alterations in the germ-free mice. According to The Guardian:

"Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was significantly up-regulated, and the 5HT1A serotonin receptor sub-type down-regulated, in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. The gene encoding the NR2B subunit of the NMDA receptor was also down-regulated in the amygdala.
All three genes have previously been implicated in emotion and anxiety-like behaviors.
BDNF is a growth factor that is essential for proper brain development, and a recent study showed that deleting the BDNF receptor TrkB alters the way in which newborn neurons integrate into hippocampal circuitry and increases anxiety-like behaviors in mice. Serotonin receptors, which are distributed widely throughout the brain, are well known to be involved in mood, and compounds that activate the 5HT1A subtype also produce anxiety-like behaviors.
The finding that the NR2B subunit of the NMDA receptor down-regulated in the amygdala is particularly interesting. NMDA receptors are composed of multiple subunits, but those made up of only NR2B subunits are known to be critical for the development and function of the amygdala, which has a well established role in fear and other emotions, and in learning and memory. Drugs that block these receptors have been shown to block the formation of fearful memories and to reduce the anxiety associated with alcohol withdrawal in rodents."

Your Gut Bacteria Are Under Constant Assault

Your lifestyle can and does influence your gut flora on a daily basis. For example, your gut bacteria are extremely sensitive to:

• Antibiotics
• Chlorinated water
• Antibacterial soap
• Agricultural chemicals
• Pollution

All of these common exposures can wreak havoc on the makeup of bacteria in your gut, but researchers are now increasingly looking at the cascading ill effects of antibiotics in particular.
Not only are antibiotics overused in medicine, the vast majority of these drugs enter you via livestock – you consume antibiotics every time you eat meat from an animal raised in a confined animal feeding operation (CAFO). In fact, about 80 percent of all the antibiotics produced are used in agriculture³ – not only to fight infection, but to promote unhealthy (though profitable) weight gain in the animals.

Early Use of Antibiotics Also Linked to Obesity

With that in mind, is it any wonder that researchers are now finding that antibiotics are associated with weight gain in humans as well?

"For many years now, farmers have known that antibiotics are great at producing heavier cows for market," Dr. Jan Blustein, MD, PhD, professor of population health and medicine told PreventDisease.com in a recent article.⁴ "While we need more research to confirm our findings, this carefully conducted study suggests that antibiotics influence weight gain in humans, and especially children..."

According to The Washington Post:⁵

"The use of antibiotics in young children might lead to a higher risk of obesity, and two new studies, one on mice and one on humans, conclude that changes of the intestinal bacteria caused by antibiotics could be responsible. Taken together, the New York University researchers conclude that it might be necessary to broaden our concept of the causes of obesity and urge more caution in using antibiotics."

The first study, published in the journal Nature⁶, found that young mice treated with low doses of common antibiotics gained 10-15 percent more fat than the untreated controls. After surveying the gut bacteria in the mice, they found that mice treated with antibiotics had a different composition of gut bacteria compared to the untreated mice. Specifically, certain species of bacteria previously shown to be associated with obesity were found in higher concentrations in the treated mice. Furthermore, after genetic analysis of the bacteria's metabolism, they discovered that genes responsible for fat synthesis had greater levels of activity in the treated mice.
According to lead author Martin Blaser:⁷

"The rise of obesity around the world is coincident with widespread antibiotic use, and our studies provide an experimental linkage. It is possible that early exposure to antibiotics primes children for obesity later in life."

The co-author Dr Ilseung Cho added:⁸

"By using antibiotics, we found we can actually manipulate the population of bacteria and alter how they metabolize certain nutrients. Ultimately, we were able to affect body composition and development in young mice by changing their gut microbiome through this exposure."

The second study, published in the International Journal of Obesity⁹, aimed to corroborate these findings in human subjects. The study, which included more than 10,000 children, found that treating babies with antibiotics before the age of six months old appears to predispose them to being overweight in childhood. Children exposed to antibiotics between the ages of six to 14 months did not have significantly higher body mass than unexposed children.
While this study does not prove causation between antibiotic use in infancy and later obesity, it does show a correlation, and the mechanism appears to be related to the way antibiotics alter your child's gut flora. However, excess weight is not the only, or the worst problem that such imbalance can create. As previously explained by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, children with imbalanced gut flora are more prone to develop neurological disorders, such as ADD/ADHD and various learning disorders. These children are also more prone to vaccine damage.

Total Video Length: 1:13:21
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Prebiotics Research Highlighted at American Chemical Society Meeting

Increasingly, researchers are finding that proper nutrition is not just about getting the right kind and amount of nutrients needed for biological processes. You also need to nourish these non-human cells in your body, i.e. your gut microflora. This issue was recently raised at the 244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society. According to a recent article in NewHope360:¹⁰

"'Just as people need food to thrive, so do the billions of healthful bacteria that live in our guts, our gastrointestinal tract,' [Robert] Rastall [Phd] explained. 'There's a large and expanding body of scientific evidence that bacteria in the gut play a role in health and disease. Prebiotics are foods that contain nutrients that support the growth and activity of these friendly bacteria.'

Rastall contrasted prebiotics to the more familiar probiotics, already being promoted on the labels of food like yogurt and some dietary supplements.

Probiotic foods actually contain friendly bacteria like Lactobacillus acidophilus believed to release healthful substances as they grow in the GI tract. Prebiotics are indigestible food ingredients that provide no nutrition to people. Their purpose is to nourish the friendly bacteria among the estimated 100 trillion microbes living inside the human GI tract."

While raised awareness about the importance of prebiotics and probiotics is good news, it comes with the territory that researchers are also working on ways to produce prebiotics that can easily be added to processed foods. Pre- and probiotics are very sensitive to heat, and excessive heat-treatment is a hallmark of most processed foods. It therefore stands to reason that any prebiotic inventions they come up with for the processed foods market will inevitably be of inferior quality, and I strongly recommend avoiding any and all processed foods that proclaim to contain prebiotics or probiotics, and stick with the real thing, i.e. traditionally fermented foods for healthful probiotics, and unprocessed whole foods for prebiotics, such as onions and garlic.

Study Finds "Clear Link" Between Inflammation, Bacterial Communities and Cancer

Demonstrating just how far-reaching the health impact of the bacterial balance in your gut can be, another recent study claims the key factor behind cancer appears to be ecological rather than genetic.¹¹
Published in the journal Science¹², the study suggests cancer may be due to a chain reaction that starts with inflammation that disrupts your gut ecosystems, allowing pathogens, such as E.coli, to invade your gut and cause cellular damage. The presence of E.coli was increased by a factor of 100 by inflammation, and 80 percent of germ-free mice infected with E.coli developed colorectal cancer, while germ-free mice inoculated with another common gut bacterium remained cancer-free, although these mice, like the others, did develop severe colitis (gut inflammation).
According to a press release by the University of North Carolina:¹³

"In a series of experiments conducted with mice prone to intestinal inflammation, the researchers found that inflammation itself causes significant simplification in diverse communities of gut microbes and allows new bacterial populations to establish major footholds. Among the bacterial taxa invading the disturbed intestinal ecosystem, the research team found a greatly increased presence of E. coli and related bacteria.

By putting E. coli bacteria into mice that were raised under sterile conditions, the team also found that the presence of E. coli promoted tumor formation. When regions of the E. coli genome known to be involved in DNA damage were removed, the ability of the E. coli to cause tumors was substantially decreased.

The researchers noted that the mouse results may have implications for human health as well, as they also found an E. coli variant with the suspect genes in high percentages of human patients with colorectal cancer and irritable bowel disease.

...'As is usual in human studies, we didn't have cause and effect,' Fodor noted. 'We don't know if microbes are somehow causing conditions to shift in the gut that would cause cancer or if there are conditions that are associated with cancer that would increase the openness of the gut to particular microbes. A shift in the microbial community is associated with inflammation... It is interesting that the microbial community is actually changing with the disease state, which indicates that it is either responding to or contributing to the disease state.'"

Like Bacteria, Cancer Cells Rely on Communication and Cooperation

In related news, an article published in Trends in Microbiology¹⁴ examines the shared traits of cancer cells and bacteria. Bacteria and cancer cells both use sophisticated communication to gain supremacy within the host. As reported by Medical News Today:¹⁵

"Inspired by the social and survival tactics of bacteria, the team presents a new picture of cancer as a meta-community of smart communicating cells possessing special traits for cooperative behavior. Using intricate communication, cancer cells can distribute tasks, share resources, differentiate, and make decisions. Before sending cells to colonize organs and tissues throughout the body (metastasis), 'spying cells' explore the body and return the cancer's origin. Only then do metastatic cells leave the primary tumor and navigate to new posts.
Also like bacteria, cancer cells change their own environment. They induce genetic changes and enslave surrounding normal cells, forcing them to do the disease's bidding - providing physical support, protecting them from the immune system, and more."

Three years ago, I posted a TED video featuring Bonnie Bassler, in which she discusses how bacteria "talk" to each other using a chemical language that lets them coordinate defense and mount attacks. Cancer cells, as it turns out, employ similar forms of communication, and as discussed by Bassler, these discoveries pave the way for the development of drugs aimed at shutting down or altering cell-to-cell communication.

This is a Flash-based video and may not be viewable on mobile devices.

According to Medical News Today:

"The team also suggests further research into cancer 'cannibalism,' when cancer cells may consume their peers when they run out of resources. The idea is to send signals which trigger cancer cells to kill each other, which can be done with bacteria. Other researchers have demonstrated that injected bacteria can 'outsmart cancer.' Bacteria can be used to induce gap junctions between the cancer cells and immune cells, 'teaching' the immune system to recognize and kill the tumor cells."

The Phenomenal Health Benefits of Fermented Vegetables

Cultured or fermented foods have a very long history in virtually all native diets, and have always been highly prized for their health benefits. The advent of processed foods dramatically altered the human diet, and we're now reaping the results in the form of rapidly rising chronic health problems. I believe the shunning of traditionally fermented foods has a lot to do with this.
The culturing process produces beneficial microbes that are extremely important for your health as they help balance your intestinal flora. If you do not regularly consume the traditionally fermented foods below, a high-quality probiotic supplement will provide similar benefits:

• Fermented vegetables
• Lassi (an Indian yoghurt drink, traditionally enjoyed before dinner)
• Fermented milk, such as kefir (a quart of unpasteurized kefir has far more active bacteria than you can possibly purchase in any probiotics supplement)
• Natto (fermented soy)

When choosing fermented foods, steer clear of pasteurized versions, as pasteurization will destroy many of the naturally occurring probiotics. This includes most of the "probiotic" yogurts you find in every grocery store these days; since they're pasteurized, they will be associated with all of the problems of pasteurized milk products and they typically contain added sugars, high fructose corn syrup, artificial coloring, or artificial sweeteners, all of which will only worsen your health.
Fermented foods are also some of the best chelators and detox agents available, meaning they can help rid your body of a wide variety of toxins, including heavy metals.
When you first start out, you'll want to start small, adding as little as half a tablespoon of fermented vegetables to each meal, and gradually working your way up to about a quarter to half a cup (2 oz to 4 oz) of fermented vegetables or other cultured food with one to three meals per day. Since cultured foods are efficient detoxifiers, you may experience detox symptoms, or a "healing crisis," if you introduce too many at once.

Learn to Make Your Own Fermented Vegetables

Fermented vegetables are easy to make on your own. It's also the most cost-effective way to get high amounts of healthful probiotics in your diet. To learn how, review the following interview with Caroline Barringer, a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP) and an expert in the preparation of the foods prescribed in Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride's Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) Nutritional Program. In addition to the wealth of information shared in this interview, I highly recommend getting the book Gut and Psychology Syndrome, which provides all the necessary details for Dr. McBride's GAPS protocol.
Although you can use the native bacteria on cabbage and other vegetables, it is typically easier to get consistent results by using a starter culture. Caroline prepares hundreds of quarts of fermented vegetables a week and has found that she gets great results by using three to four high quality probiotic capsules to jump start the fermentation process.

Download Interview Transcript

Caroline prepares the vegetables commercially and I used hers for a month before I started making my own. So, if you just want to put your toe in the water and see if you like them, you can order a jar or two and try them out. You can find her products on www.CulturedVegetables.net or www.CulturedNutrition.com.

AVOID This to Optimize Your Gut Flora!

Along with eating naturally fermented foods and/or taking a high-quality supplement, it's essential that you avoid sugar, including fructose. Sugar nourishes pathogenic bacteria, yeast, and fungi in your gut, which may actually harm you more than its impact on insulin resistance. One of the major results of eating a healthy diet like the one described in my nutrition plan is that you cause your beneficial gut bacteria to flourish, and they secondarily perform the real "magic" of restoring your health.
Remember, an estimated 80 percent of your immune system is located in your gut, which is just one more reason why "tending to" your gut microflora is an essential element of good health. A robust immune system, supported by your flourishing inner ecosystem, is your number one defense against ALL disease, from the common cold to cancer.
I feel very strongly that if we can catalyze a movement to get more people to implement this ancient dietary wisdom to their normal eating patterns, then we'll start seeing a radical change in health.

Green Tea Boosts Brain Cell Production to Aid Memory

Brainy Beverage: Study Reveals How Green Tea Boosts Brain Cell Production to Aid Memory

ScienceDaily (Sep. 5, 2012) — It has long been believed that drinking green tea is good for the memory. Now researchers have discovered how the chemical properties of China's favorite drink affect the generation of brain cells, providing benefits for memory and spatial learning.

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The research is published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research.
"Green tea is a popular beverage across the world," said Professor Yun Bai from the Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China. "There has been plenty of scientific attention on its use in helping prevent cardiovascular diseases, but now there is emerging evidence that its chemical properties may impact cellular mechanisms in the brain."
Professor Bai's team focused on the organic chemical EGCG, (epigallocatechin-3 gallate) a key property of green tea. While EGCG is a known anti-oxidant, the team believed it can also have a beneficial effect against age-related degenerative diseases.
"We proposed that EGCG can improve cognitive function by impacting the generation of neuron cells, a process known as neurogenesis," said Bai. "We focused our research on the hippocampus, the part of the brain which processes information from short-term to long-term memory."
The team found that EGCG boosts the production of neural progenitor cells, which like stem cells can adapt, or differentiate, into various types of cells. The team then used laboratory mice to discover if this increased cell production gave an advantage to memory or spatial learning.
"We ran tests on two groups of mice, one which had imbibed EGCG and a control group," said Bai. "First the mice were trained for three days to find a visible platform in their maze. Then they were trained for seven days to find a hidden platform."
The team found that the EGCG treated mice required less time to find the hidden platform. Overall the results revealed that EGCG enhances learning and memory by improving object recognition and spatial memory.
"We have shown that the organic chemical EGCG acts directly to increase the production of neural progenitor cells, both in glass tests and in mice," concluded Bai. "This helps us to understand the potential for EGCG, and green tea which contains it, to help combat degenerative diseases and memory loss."
This paper is published as part of a collection of articles bringing together high quality research on the theme of food science and technology with particular relevance to China. Browse free articles from Wiley's food science and technology publications including the Journal of Food Science, Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture and Molecular Nutrition & Food Research.

Triglycerides: The Good, The Bad, the Ugly

What are triglycerides?

Triglycerides are a type of lipid (fat). They are the chemical form in which most fat exists in food as well as in the body. They're also present in blood plasma and, in association with cholesterol, form the plasma lipids.

Triglycerides are the most common type of fat storage and energy transfer in our bodies. Triglycerides are absolutely necessary for survival but that too much of a good thing can prove damaging and even deadly.

Excess calories are converted to triglycerides. Then they are transported to fat cells for storage. When the body has need of additional energy, like between meals, hormones trigger the release of these stored fats which rush to fill the energy gap. It is a wonderful system providing sustained energy release without us even thinking about it.

Measuring triglyceride levels

Like cholesterol, increases in triglyceride levels can be detected by plasma measurements. The measurements should be made after an overnight food and alcohol fast. The National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines for triglycerides are: Normal Less than 150 mg/dL

• Borderline-high, 150 to 199 mg/dL
• High,   200 to 499 mg/dL
• Very high, 500 mg/dL or higher

These are based on fasting plasma triglyceride levels.

Hypertriglyceridemia

Excess triglycerides in plasma is called hypertriglyceridemia. It's linked to the occurrence of coronary artery disease. Elevated triglycerides may also be a consequence of other disease, such as untreated diabetes mellitus.

Excluding old age, three of the most common causes of hypertriglyceridemia are:

• Obesity
• Poor diet
• Lack of exercise 

How are triglycerides harmful?

Unfortunately, as people get older and heavier, triglycerides, along with cholesterol levels tend to rise. When levels rise significantly higher than normal some health problems can also develop. Triglycerides that exist in the bloodstream produce a negative impact on heart health. While in the blood stream they are packaged with small amounts of cholesterol, and protein. They are then known as VLDL (very low-density lipoprotein). Under certain conditions these produce LDL (low-density lipoprotein) otherwise known as bad cholesterol. Unfortunately high levels of triglycerides and LDL usually coexist with low levels of HDL. HDL is the healthy cholesterol.

Researchers have believed for some time that elevated triglycerides are an indication of increased risk for coronary heart disease (CHD). Recent research indicates that high triglyceride levels are themselves an independent risk factor.

There are a number of medical conditions that are causally related to hypertriglyceridemia, as well. These include:

• Kidney disease
• Liver disease
• Familial hypertriglyceridemia 

Reducing triglyceride levels

Changes in lifestyle habits are the main therapy for hypertriglyceridemia.These may include:

• Losing extra bodyweight. If you're overweight, losing the excess pounds can help lower your triglycerides. Motivate yourself by focusing on the benefits of losing weight, such as more energy and improved health.   
  
  
• Consuming fewer calories. Remember that excess calories are converted to triglycerides and stored as fat. Reducing your calories will reduce triglycerides.   
  
  
• Choosing healthier fats. Avoid saturated fat and instead choose healthier monounsaturated fat, found in olive, peanut and canola oils. In addition, eat fish high in omega-3 fatty acids - such as mackerel and salmon - instead of red meat.
  
• Reducing the saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol content of your diet.
  
• Reducing meat consumption.
  
• Choosing low fat protein  over carbohydrates
  
• Reducing your intake of alcohol considerably. Even small amounts of alcohol can lead to large changes in plasma triglyceride levels.
  
• Avoiding sugary foods. Simple carbohydrates, such as sugar, can cause a sudden increase in insulin production. This can increase triglycerides
  
• Limiting cholesterol, intake. Aim for no more than 300 milligrams of cholesterol a day - or less than 200 milligrams if you have heart disease.
  
• Avoiding the most concentrated sources of cholesterol, including organ meats, egg yolks and whole milk products.
  
• Avoiding cigarette smoking.
  
• Exercising. Be physically active for at least 30 minutes on most or all days each week.
  
  
• Adding fish to your diet. Fatty fish like mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon are high in omega-3 fatty acids .
  
  
• Supplementation. The American Heart Association recommends 2 - 4 grams of Omega-3 per day for anyone with high triglycerides.
  

Other Treatments for Hypertriglyceridemia

In the event diet and exercise are not enough other treatment becomes necessary. If elevated triglyceride levels are caused by some other medical condition then the underlying ailment needs to be addressed by your doctor.

In the absence of other causal medical conditions there are medications that are very effective in reducing triglycerides. These, of course, must be prescribed by your doctor.

Along with medication your doctor will also prescribe a triglyceride lowering diet and exercise. He or she should suggest eating more cold water fish like salmon, herring, sardines, albacore tuna, lake trout and possibly taking fish oil supplements.

Light Weights for Anti-Aging and Muscle Strength

Lifting Light Weights to Build Muscle

 
Building muscle doesn't require a lifting heavy, just a lot of light weight lifting, according to new research. This new discovery about building muscle may prove beneficial not just to bodybuilders but for the elderly, as well as people who fear lifting heavy weights for risk of injury.  

Heavy Lifting Not Required

You can build muscle and pump up your muscles through volume: by lifting light weights a greater number of times.The secret is simply to pump iron until muscle fatigue sets in, says Stuart Phillips, PhD, associate professor of kinesiology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.

"Rather than grunting and straining to lift heavy weights, you can grab something much lighter but you have to lift it until you can't lift it any more," says Phillips .

Muscle Building Study

Researchers recruited 15 healthy men. The average age was 21. Each was told to lift light weights and heavy weights with varying repetitions (reps).

Heavier weights were set to 90% of a man's best heaviest lift, and light weights at 30%.

Phillips says weights set to 80% to 90% of a person's best lift required five to 10 repetitions before fatigue set in. At 30%, it took at least 24 lifts before similar fatigue developed.

The researchers measured muscle fatigue at the cellular level by examining results of muscle biopsies done 4 hours and 24 hours after workouts.

Similar amounts of protein used in muscle building were produced whether volunteers lifted at 90% of their maximums until they ran out of steam and when they lifted only 30% of their best until they could lift no more, the researchers say.

What this means is that similar muscle mass can be built by using light weights as with heavier ones; as long as you are lifting to fatigue. This stimulates your muscle to make new muscle proteins, a process in the body that over time accumulates into bigger muscles," says Phillips says. "We're excited to see where this new paradigm will lead."

Discovery Important Not Just for Bodybuilders

The research has practical significance, and not just for body builders, because building muscle is important for people with compromised skeletal muscle mass, such as cancer patients, the elderly, or people recovering from trauma, surgery, or even stroke, the researchers conclude.

They didn't measure actual muscle growth, relying instead for their conclusions on the cellular markers.

Slow Down Aging by Lifting Light

  

The researchers write that a "high-volume low-load resistance exercise" program may help reduce loss of muscle tissue that occurs as part of the natural aging process.

Lighter Weightlifting Safer

Lifting lighter weights to fatigue may also reduce orthopaedic injury and soft tissue according to the research. The study is published in the journal PLoS One.

 

SOURCES:

 

Burd, N. PLoS One, August 2010.

 

News release, McMaster University.

cancer fighters help relieve pain and inflammation.

Aid Joint Recovery With Curcumin and Green Tea Extract

 

 

Jim Stoppani, Ph.D.

Curcumin

This active ingredient in the spice turmeric not only protects you from cancer and heart disease, but also has been shown to relieve the pain and inflammation associated with healing from surgery and arthritis. Research has also shown that it can significantly reduce cartilage destruction by inhibiting chemicals that instigate inflammation in the body.

Green Tea Extract

The main active ingredient in green tea, a catechin (epigallocatechin-3-gallate), not only enhances fat loss and reduces the risk of certain cancers — much like curcumin — but also aids joint recovery. Research has discovered that EGCG inhibits cartilage breakdown by blocking chemicals that lead to inflammation in the body.

Take It Like This

Tag team your joints so that they don’t slow down your training. Take 200-500 milligrams of turmeric extract standardized for at least 85% curcumin and 500 mg of green tea extract standardized to at least 50% EGCG two or three times per day.

as always consult your doctor before you take any supplements   TRAIN WITH WAYNE

Why Half of America May Have Impaired Brain Function by 2030

By Dr. Mercola

It's a fact that excess dietary fructose can harm your body by setting up the conditions for diabetes, obesity, and fatty liver, but what does it do to your brain? Studies have not addressed this question—until now.
A new UCLA study¹ is the first to show how a steady diet high in fructose can damage your memory and learning. The study was published in the Journal of Physiology.
Researchers investigated the effects of high-fructose syrup, similar to high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), a cheap sweetener six times sweeter than cane sugar, which is used in most  soft drinks, processed foods, condiments, and even many baby foods.
The team sought to study the effects of a steady intake of this super-processed, concentrated form of fructose, which is quite dissimilar from the naturally occurring fructose in fruits. They fed rats a fructose solution as drinking water for six weeks, then tested their ability to remember their way out of a maze.The results certainly grabbed the researchers' attention.

Too Much Sugar Makes You Stupid!

The rats fed fructose syrup showed significant impairment in their cognitive abilities—they struggled to remember their way out of the maze. They were slower, and their brains showed a decline in synaptic activity. Their brain cells had trouble signaling each other, disrupting the rats' ability to think clearly and recall the route they'd learned six weeks earlier.
Additionally, the fructose-fed rats showed signs of resistance to insulin, a hormone that controls your blood sugar and synaptic function in your brain.
Because insulin is able to pass through your blood-brain barrier, it can trigger neurological processes that are important for learning and memory. Consuming large amounts of fructose may block insulin's ability to regulate how your brain cells store and use sugar for the energy needed to fuel thoughts and emotions. The average American consumes roughly 47 pounds of cane sugar and 35 pounds of high-fructose corn syrup per year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture².
Researchers concluded that a high fructose diet harms your brain, as well as the rest of your body. But there is even more to this story.
A second group of rats was given omega-3 fatty acids in the form of flaxseed oil and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), in addition to the high fructose diet. After six weeks, this group of rats was able to navigate the maze better and faster than the rats in the non-DHA group.
The researchers concluded that DHA is protective against fructose's harmful effects on the brain. DHA is essential for synaptic function—it helps your brain cells transmit signals to one another, which is the mechanism that makes learning and memory possible. Your body can't produce enough DHA, so it must be supplemented through your diet.

HBO Documentary Series: "The Weight of the Nation"

The HBO Weight of the Nation documentary is a collaboration among the Institute of Medicine (IOM), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Kaiser Permanente, and several other health-related organizations. The entire series can be viewed free of charge from their website.
Sadly however, HBO chose to interview many who did not understand the foundational causes of obesity, and their editors chose to continue many myths that are simply incorrect, like using insulin for type 2 diabetes; a calorie is a calorie and you simply need to burn more to lose weight, for example, both of which are utter nonsense. If you have time, the four hour series is useful to watch and has some powerful illustrations and statics that are true, just be warned it is filled with loads of misleading dietary fallacies.
It is projected that 42 percent of Americans will be obese by 2030, which is expected to cost the nation roughly half a trillion dollars per year in additional health costs.
Clearly, that will affect YOU, whether you are among the 42 percent or not.The obesity problem cannot be solved by waiting for the food industry to be struck by a wave of altruism. Big business always has and always will be driven by healthy profits, not healthy people. America has cultivated a toxic culture that has written real food and exercise right out of the script.
The facts are sobering³:

• Americans today consume an average of 600 more calories per day than they did in 1970
• Seventy-five percent of Americans now drive to work, a 300 percent increase since 1960
• In 1969, 42 percent of kids walked or biked to school, versus less than 20 percent today
• Fewer than five percent of adults meet the minimum guidelines for physical activity, and one in four adults gets no physical activity at all
• Currently, only four percent of elementary schools, eight percent of middle schools, and two percent of high schools provide physical education

Drugs are a TERRIBLE Answer to the Diabetes Epidemic

Skyrocketing obesity rates are accompanied by escalating rates of type 2 diabetes. This makes perfect sense when you realize the two problems share the same primary cause: insulin resistance. As was confirmed in the UCLA fructose study, a major driver of insulin resistance and therefore a major driver of increasing diabetes rates, is excessive fructose consumption. According to the CDC's 2011 National Diabetes Fact Sheet⁴:

• Diabetes affects 25.8 million people, which is 8.3 percent of the total U.S. population
• Among Americans age 65 or older, 26.9 percent have diabetes and 50 percent have pre-diabetes
• Among Americans age 20 or older, 79 million people (35 percent) have pre-diabetes
• Among Americans age 20 or younger, 215,000 have diabetes
• Overall, if you have diabetes, your risk for death is about TWICE that of people of similar age who don't have diabetes

Most conventional physicians are quick to pull out the prescription pad as a first-line defense against type 2 diabetes—but the price you pay for diabetes drugs is a high one. In fact, taking glucose-lowering drugs is typically  far more dangerous than the disease itself and actually has the potential to radically increase your risk of death from heart attacks, and all other, causes.
Avandia (rosiglitazone) is the poster child for the dangers of diabetes drug treatment. A 2007 study in the New England Journal of Medicine⁵ linked Avandia to a 43 percent increased risk of heart attack, and a 64 percent higher risk of cardiovascular death, compared to patients treated with other methods. It took nearly 10 years of the drug being on the market for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take action and restrict access to this dangerous drug, whereas the European Medicines Agency banned it altogether.But now another diabetes drug has been drawn into the spotlight.

Whistleblower Exposes Deadly Effects of Diabetes Drug Actos

Actos, a type-2 diabetes drug manufactured by Takeda Pharmaceuticals, is now the subject of hundreds of lawsuits. It was pulled from the market by both France and Germany a year ago after being found to cause bladder cancer and other tumors. But now, a whistleblower, Dr. Helen Ge, has come forward with a lawsuit of her own stating that the drug company is benefiting from "tens of billions of dollars in sales" at the expense of the lives of people still taking the drug^6,7,8.
Dr. Ge worked in the Takeda's pharmacovigilance division, where she was in charge of reviewing side effects of Actos as reported by patients and physicians. She then prepared safety reports that were filed with the FDA―reports that Ge says she was ordered to water-down or not report at all, so Actos would look better than it actually was.
Dr. Ge believes Actos is even more dangerous than Avandia.
She believes that, besides bladder cancer and tumors, Actos is also connected to heart attacks and stroke, suicide, schizophrenia, homicidal ideation, and renal failure. Dr. Ge claims Takeda concealed reports from regulators about hundreds of heart failure cases directly related to the drug in an attempt to drive sales. Dr. Ge filed her lawsuit in September 2011. Actos is still being sold in the United States.

Getting Off The Path of Dietary Madness

But what can be done to derail this obesity freight train that seems to be speeding out of control? The obesity epidemic is different from naturally occurring epidemics in that it is completely human-created. The good news is it has the potential of a human-directed reversal, which begins with expanding awareness about the gravity of the problem. If you are one of my long-term readers, you already know I've been committed to expanding this awareness for decades. In one of the featured articles, best-selling author David Sirota lists what he believes are five of the most promising ways to reverse these trends and the science-based rationale for each⁹ :

• Taxing junk food. Multiple studies confirm that this strategy does indeed work—people's food choices are affected by price.
• Stop subsidizing junk food. Stop giving money to corn and soy growers and start paying farmers to produce real food like fruits and vegetables—the foods that will improve the nation's health. There is NO inherent reason junk food should cost less than fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Ban junk food in schools. Nearly half of public and private schools surveyed sold sweet or salty snack foods in vending machines or other places, and in most schools, school lunches are not much better
• Stop glorifying unhealthy eating habits. It's time the media are held accountable for equating America with hot dogs, apple pie, and cheesesteaks, and the message this sends to America's youth
• Start broadening our understanding of obesity. There is no denying the abundance of science disproving conventional wisdom that "a calorie is a calorie"—it's time for the mainstream to wake up and acknowledge the factors responsible for obesity, particularly massive quantities of fructose and refined grain products that Americans are consuming each day.

What Have You Got to Lose?

Solving this problem is going to require significant changes on personal, community, and nationwide levels. The Weight of the Nation website¹⁰ lists a wide variety of action steps you can take on all of these levels. But the best first step is to take an honest look at your own personal lifestyle habits—and start making some changes there.
Whether you need some slight dietary tweaking or a total nutritional overhaul, here are some basic strategies you can implement today to get yourself off the "path of dietary madness":

• Avoid as much sugar as possible, especially fructose. This is especially important if you are overweight or have diabetes or pre-diabetes, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure. Limit your fructose intake to 25 grams per day (refer to this chart to see the fructose content of common whole foods). If you want to use a sweetener occasionally, consider using the herb stevia, or organic cane sugar or organic honey in moderation. Avoid agave syrup, as most commercial products are just highly processed sap consisting almost entirely of fructose.
  
• Consume your sugar with fiber. Fiber helps modulate the impact of sugar by slowing absorption. The perfect sweet food is a piece of fruit, which contains fiber as well as beneficial antioxidants.
• Eat a well balanced diet, tailored to your specific body type. It should consist of ample raw foods, fresh organic produce, grass pastured meat and dairy, raw nuts and seeds, and naturally fermented foods. Avoid processed foods, genetically engineered foods, and foods with added chemicals. For more information, refer to my total nutrition plan.
• Get plenty of high quality omega-3 fats from both plant and animal sources. As the study above showed, omega-3's are crucial to modulating the damaging effects of sugar—and have MANY other benefits. My favorite animal-based omega-3 source is krill oil.
• Optimize your vitamin D level.
• Exercise every day. Exercise improves insulin sensitivity, reduces stress and cortisol levels, suppresses ghrelin (the appetite hormone), speeds up your metabolism, strengthens your bones, and even lifts your mood.
• Rehydrate with fresh, pure water.
• Get plenty of sleep.
• Manage your stress.

How Fructose Turns ON Your "Fat Switch"

If you have ever struggled losing weight and keeping it off, you already know what a challenge that can be. Dr. Richard Johnson, chief of the Division of Renal Diseases and Hypertension at the University of Colorado has published hundreds of articles and two books on this topic: The Sugar Fix, and most recently, The Fat Switch, which presents a groundbreaking approach to preventing and reversing obesity. According to Dr. Johnson, based on his decades of research:

"Those of us who are obese eat more because of a faulty "switch" and exercise less because of a low energy state. If you can learn how to control the specific "switch" located in the powerhouse of each of your cells – the mitochondria – you hold the key to fighting obesity."

There are five basic truths that Dr. Johnson explains in detail in his new book that overturn current concepts:

1. Large portions of food and too little exercise are NOT solely responsible for why you are gaining weight
2. Metabolic Syndrome is A NORMAL CONDITION that animals undergo to store fat
3. Uric acid is increased by specific foods and CAUSALLY CONTRIBUTES to  obesity and insulin resistance
4. Fructose-containing sugars cause obesity not by calories but by turning on the fat switch
5. Effective treatment of obesity requires turning off your fat switch and improving the function of your cells' mitochondria