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In this issue:
Meow,
Grapefruit Wins for Weight Loss and in
Insulin Resistance Battle
While grapefruit debuted in weight-loss schemes in the 1930s, unlike other
diet fads that come and go, grapefruit persists in weight loss strategies.
Apparently, it works. A recent study by the Nutrition and Metabolic Research
Center at Scripps Clinic yielded favorable weight loss results, along with hope
for metabolic syndrome sufferers as well.
Over a 12-week period, subjects were randomly given one of the following
three times daily before meals:
(1) one-half of a fresh grapefruit or
(2) 8 ounces of grapefruit juice or
(3) grapefruit capsules with 500mg of whole grapefruit extract or
(4) a placebo concoction
Apple juice was added to some protocols to match the calories in the
grapefruit and grapefruit juice consumers.
Subjects were otherwise encouraged to follow their regular eating habits.
By the end of the study, subjects taking:
• Fresh grapefruit lost an average of 3.6 pounds (the
winners in weight loss)
• Grapefruit juice-drinkers lost 3.3 pounds (coming in a pretty close
second place)
• Grapefruit capsule-takers lost 2.4 pounds (eh, fresh is better fair
members, but capsules did help!)
• Placebo-taking participants lost only one half pound (hmmm, not
much of a placebo effect here)
Worthy of note, one third of the subjects had the infamous metabolic
syndrome.
Those with metabolic syndrome who also consumed fresh grapefruit or
grapefruit juice experienced significant improvements in their insulin
responses. Bonus!
Researchers are still hard at work to determine just what grapefruit has that
other citrus fruits don’t. They suspect grapefruit’s inhibition of certain
enzymes and biochemical pathways in the liver may be core, along with regulation
of insulin. After all, too much insulin can cause weight gain.
Research continues and there’s surely more to come on the softball-sized
citrus wonder known as grapefruit.
However, grapefruit’s not for everyone.
The active ingredients in grapefruit inhibit the activity of liver enzymes
involved in the breakdown of certain drugs as well.
So stay away from grapefruit without physician consent if you happen to be
taking pharmaceuticals like:
• Calcium channel blockers (used
to treat high blood pressure)
• Non-sedating antihistamines like Hismanal (astemizole)
• Tranquilizers like Valium (diazepam), Xanax (alprazolam)
• Cholesterol-lowering statin drugs like Lipitor (atorvastatin),
Mevacor (lovastatin)
• Immunosuppressive drugs used to prevent rejection of
transplanted organs
• Antiviral agents used to treat HIV/AIDS.
Probiotics May Enhance Soy Isoflavone
Benefits
You’d have to be living under a rock these days to have missed the regular
buzz about soy. Considered a good protein source, high in essential fatty acids,
soy is frequently touted for heart, bone, and hormonal health.
Yet, the industry is full of naysayers when it comes to soy, with plenty of
recent research studies showing little or no benefit from soy.
The Journal of
Endocrinol Metabolism recently highlighted a meta-analysis of a whopping
38 studies of soy – and the results favored soy overwhelmingly.
Specifically, researchers found that the consumption of 31-47g of soy protein
daily could reduce both total cholesterol and LDL approximately 10-12%. Not
insignificant.
So, why all the controversy?
Researchers believe the problem is in how soy isoflavones are metabolized. It
turns out that not all humans are rigged to make use of all soy isoflavones.
Daidzein, a particular isoflavone found in many soy foods, must be converted
by intestinal bacteria into the potent metabolite, equol.
Equol’s benefits are many, including powerful antioxidant activity. Equol is
thought to be responsible for many of the benefits of soy, such as lower
incidence of prostate and breast cancer, etc.
Alas, not everyone can convert daidzein to equol effectively.
In a study with monkeys, researchers found that antibiotics interfere with
the conversion of daidzein (the soy isoflavone) into equol (the valuable
metabolite) by killing healthy intestinal bacteria.
In contrast, folks with diets rich in plants and fiber and low in fat tend to
convert daidzein into equol just fine (no surprise, they have plenty of friendly
bacteria!).
So, it’s looking like there’s a correlation. Namely, if you wanna reap all
the benefits of soy, you need to keep your guts full of friendly little
critters, lovingly known as probiotics.
More on our
Probiotics 16.
More on soy
isoflavones for menopausal women.
Health in the News
Berries and Brain Health – rats eating berries produce more dopamine
than those on regular rat chow. Who knew?!
Snail toxin may hold promise for addressing conditions ranging from Alzheimer’s
to depression. Good grief, where do these ideas come from?
Pomegranate juice could offer health benefits for diabetics, not to
mention support for healthy hearts, cells, and cartilage.
Tech-Savvy Teri (Say What?) Saves the Day!
It was last Thursday when I announced our 10% off coupon with glee, only to
begin receiving a slow trickle of notes from frustrated members hissing about
“invalid coupon” messages.
Sacre Bleu! Stephen, also our technology front man, happened to be out of the
office. This kat leaves geeky stuff to humans, so the possibilities for a
quick-fix weren’t looking good.
Miraculously, Teri – not known for her tech savvy -- had some tricks up her
sleeve! She found the error on our shopping cart site, and, just like that, the
problem was solved!
Teri also took care of our ranks of hissing members. So, congrats to Teri,
who gave Stephen a free pass out of the doghouse. ^..^
Okay, now I must ask for ideas for fabulous, integrative healthcare
practitioners whom this kat can interview near-term.
Still purringly yours,
Guido
Guido Housemouser
Chief Kat and Community Manager
Our Health Co-op
4188 Westroads Drive,
Unit 123
Riviera Beach, FL 33407
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