Scientific News

Sedentary people who have a genetic risk of Alzheimer’s have a greater risk of plaque build up in the brain. Physically active people who have a genetic risk of Alzheimer’s have no more plaque build-up than people who aren’t at risk. Or said another way, the genetic risk of Alheimer’s can be repressed through exercise.

Robert Lustig, MD convincingly makes the case that chronic consumption of fructose is the cause of metabolic syndrome, the common underlying condition linked to heart disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity.

For one thing, excess sugar consumption mimics the effects of drinking too much alcohol, which of course, is made from distilling sugar!

The scientists are recommending making sugar consumption slightly less convenient by imposing a licensing requirement to sell sweetened drinks and snacks in schools and in the workplace. This would control access in the same way that access is controlled to alcohol and cigarettes.

BPA is a chemical that leaches into food and drinks, especially when heated, which means that BPA is being ingested and stored in the body. BPA mimics the effect of estrogen, a hormone, and it disrupts and interferes with the hormone system.

According to the Tufts Univesity Health & Nutrition Letter (December 2012 edition), the American Heart Association recently revised it’s heart healthy eating program. New dietary guidelines include up to 35% of calories from fat, especially monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, which are now recognized as desirable and okay. Unfortunately, the American Heart Association and other

Brown University did a study of 3,000 participants in the National Weight Control Registry, which tracks successful dieters for 10 years. By the way, 75% of successful long-term dieters are women, and most of them have a college degree.