The conspiracy to make (and keep us) fat...

CoachReddy

http://www.canada.com/health/Fast+food+damage+your+brain+study/5919856/story.html

The work — published in the journal Neurology — involved 104 people, ages 65 and older, enrolled in the Oregon Brain Aging Study. All were generally healthy elders, with few smokers or people with diabetes or high blood cholesterol.

When the study was launched in 1989, "the aim was to study the effects of age on dementia risk in people that don't have factors known to increase their risk at the time," Bowman said.

Other researchers have linked diet and dementia. But the usual strategy is to have people fill out questionnaires about the type and frequency of foods they eat — except people sometimes forget. Age can also affect how the body absorbs nutrients.

In the new study, researchers checked blood samples for markers of 30 different nutrients. Participants also did a raft of neuropsychological tests, and 42 had MRI scans of their brains as well. The team was interested in three things: cognitive function, total brain volume and white matter changes thought to be a sign of small vessel disease of the brain.

Among the key findings:

- The B vitamins, the antioxidants C and E and vitamin D all seemed to be working in concert in some way the researchers can't yet fully explain. But the B-C-E-D pattern was associated with greater total brain volume and better global cognitive function. People who scored low on this vitamin combination turned out to have less total brain tissue;

- People who had high levels of circulating trans fats had less brain volume. They also had poorer memory, attention, language and processing speed skills;

- People with higher levels of omega 3 fatty acids had better executive function — the ability to plan, problem solve, multi-task and perform other functions — as well as fewer white matter lesions on their brain scans.

The findings held after researchers took age, sex, education, hypertension and genetic and other factors into account.

SanteMulberry

"...Obesity causes health issues..."

Then again, it may be that whatever is causing the obesity is also causing health issues. I was on the maximum dose of two blood pressure meds when I decided to go sugar free. I was able to taper right off of my blood pressure drugs in a matter of a couple of weeks---BEFORE I lost much weight. That's pretty impressive anecdotal evidence in my opinion. There is a bio-chemical reason for that if you are interested.

2FatToRun

http://www.canada.com/health/Fast+food+damage+your+brain+study/5919856/story.html

The work — published in the journal Neurology — involved 104 people, ages 65 and older, enrolled in the Oregon Brain Aging Study. All were generally healthy elders, with few smokers or people with diabetes or high blood cholesterol.

When the study was launched in 1989, "the aim was to study the effects of age on dementia risk in people that don't have factors known to increase their risk at the time," Bowman said.

Other researchers have linked diet and dementia. But the usual strategy is to have people fill out questionnaires about the type and frequency of foods they eat — except people sometimes forget. Age can also affect how the body absorbs nutrients.

In the new study, researchers checked blood samples for markers of 30 different nutrients. Participants also did a raft of neuropsychological tests, and 42 had MRI scans of their brains as well. The team was interested in three things: cognitive function, total brain volume and white matter changes thought to be a sign of small vessel disease of the brain.

Among the key findings:

- The B vitamins, the antioxidants C and E and vitamin D all seemed to be working in concert in some way the researchers can't yet fully explain. But the B-C-E-D pattern was associated with greater total brain volume and better global cognitive function. People who scored low on this vitamin combination turned out to have less total brain tissue;

- People who had high levels of circulating trans fats had less brain volume. They also had poorer memory, attention, language and processing speed skills;

- People with higher levels of omega 3 fatty acids had better executive function — the ability to plan, problem solve, multi-task and perform other functions — as well as fewer white matter lesions on their brain scans.

The findings held after researchers took age, sex, education, hypertension and genetic and other factors into account.

Coach is this why ppl these days are so much more stupid than at any other point in American History? If you have ever seen the movie Idiocracy the dude is eating something with his finger out of a huge tub and all the water systems are a gatorade like substance..no more water fountains AHAHHA. That is where we are headed.

stumblinthrulife

Coach Reddy, you seem to be laboring under the assumption that I am arguing one way or the other. I'm neither a food scientist, nutritionist or doctor, so make no claim to be able to prove anything either way. I was just pointing out that everything I had read in this post was purely correlation.

I'll happily read the links you provided later, since I'm cooking dinner right now. Fittingly, a whole grain pizza with a nice organic side salad. Nothing like getting the best of both worlds, I say.

CoachReddy

Coach Reddy, you seem to be laboring under the assumption that I am arguing one way or the other. I'm neither a food scientist, nutritionist or doctor, so make no claim to be able to prove anything either way. I was just pointing out that everything I had read in this post was purely correlation.

I'll happily read the links you provided later, since I'm cooking dinner right now. Fittingly, a whole grain pizza with a nice organic side salad. Nothing like getting the best of both worlds, I say.

haha fair enough. enjoy - sounds good!

0hhCarolina

Well you all keep believing that. I just finished two beers after downing half a bag of chips, 400 calories worth of Heath Bar Ice Cream, and am about to dig into some spicy chicken wings and fettuccine alfredo from the local pizza shop. I'd be happy to compare health stats any time.

I don't know, I used to be the same way, losing weight and running marathons and not worrying about quality of food so much as calories. I lost 60 lbs twice in this way, eating whatever, even McDonalds as long as it was "on plan". I also ran over 10 marathons (well 4 half, 4 full, and several 30Ks).

After about ten years of this lifestyle I became suddenly quite ill and thought for about 10 months I possibly had colon cancer it was so bad. I have learned the hard way that these kinds of things can indeed catch up to us and it has been a scary and humbling experience. I still have trouble sticking to eating clean but think it is well worth the effort.

How did you reach the conclusion that eating "clean" instead would have led to a different outcome? Or said another way, how did you determine that the specifics of your diet was the cause of your problems and not something else, for example, your weight (assuming you were overweight during that time)? Or perhaps a dietary deficiency that was the result of something you *were not* eating and not the result of something you *were* eating?

(Just curious. Not trying to make any baseless accusations with this. I'm just fascinated by the ability of the human mind sometimes to make associations and correlations with things that may or may not be associated or correlated.)

This is a good question. Basically I was staying in a size 4 by following Weight Watchers, so through calorie restriction. I had been thin most of my life but had put on 60 pounds with my pregnancies for both of my children, and went on WW to get back in shape. However, I pretty much didn't worry about the good health guidelines, like servings of fruits and vegetables etc. I'd eat sushi and pineapples at one meal, and maybe McDonalds the next day, as long as I was within my Points. I was running marathons and thinking that as long as I was keeping my weight down this was the most important. Looking back though, I did get sick from a trip overseas, a parasite, so really maybe it wasn't all tied to food. But at the same time, I noticed in going through that and not knowing what it was I noticed that food definitely affected how I felt, and made me reconsider how I was ignoring nutrition for just staying thin. It seems to be common knowledge in health and nutrition that food is related to long term health and wellness. I guess as I'm struggling to not go back up in weight, I am thinking now that losing weight and staying thin the healthy nutritious way would be best.

volume77

we're all going to die anyway...may as well enjoy the donuts and ice cream while we can :drinker: :bigsmile:

yep