Monthly Archives: February 2013

More on Resistance Starch

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Robert Barrington

Resistant starch, also known as dietary fibre, represents the fraction of carbohydrate intake that contains glycosidic bond types that result in incomplete hydrolysis by human digestive enzymes. Such carbohydrate was once considered to be important to health solely because it … Continue reading →

Posted in Fibre, Gastric Emptying, Ghrelin, Glycaemic Index, Glycaemic load, Resistant Starch, Short Chain Fatty Acids | Comments Off on More on Resistance Starch

Fruit and Vegetables Benefit Smokers

Posted on February 17, 2013 by Robert Barrington

The deleterious long-term health effects of smoking are though to be caused by increased levels of oxidative stress. It is thought that cigarette smoking increases tissue free radical activity that gradually depletes cellular antioxidant defences, and over time, the plasma … Continue reading →

Posted in Antioxidant, Fruit, Oxidative Stress, Vegetables | Comments Off on Fruit and Vegetables Benefit Smokers

Breast feeding and Insulin Sensitivity in Childhood

Posted on February 16, 2013 by Robert Barrington

Research suggests that the nutrition received by the foetus during particular periods of growth, and by the infant postnatally, are important determinants of future metabolic abnormalities. The association between infant or foetal nutrition and obesity and type 2 diabetes is … Continue reading →

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Folic Acid Supplementation in Intermediate Homocysteinaemia

Posted on February 15, 2013 by Robert Barrington

A high plasma concentration of homocysteine is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and studies have shown that 0.5 to 5 mg of folic acid as a dietary supplement can lower homocysteine by 25%. Cellular S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) is an intermediate … Continue reading →

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More on Conjugated Linoleic Acid

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Robert Barrington

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a mixture of isomers of the essential fatty acid linoleic acid (LA, C18:2 (n-6)), containing two conjugated double bonds. Diary products contain the CLA isomer cis-9, trans-11, but CLA is also produced industrially with the … Continue reading →

Posted in Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), Essential Fatty Acids, Linoleic Acid, Olive Oil, Weight Loss | Comments Off on More on Conjugated Linoleic Acid

Breastfeeding and Cardiovascular Health

Posted on February 13, 2013 by Robert Barrington

The health of the cardiovascular system is associated with the fitness level of the cardiorespiratory system. In other words, for a given age both children and adults are considered to have improved cardiovascular health with increase cardiorespiratory fitness, although the … Continue reading →

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Energy Restriction and Longevity

Posted on February 12, 2013 by Robert Barrington

Mammalian research suggests that long-term calorie reduction is associated with life extension. The telomere is the repetitive nucleotide sequence at the end of a chromatid that protects the chromosomes from fusion during replication. As mammals age, this telomere shortens, with … Continue reading →

Posted in Eicosanoids, Linoleic Acid, Mortality, Omega 3, Omega 6 | Comments Off on Energy Restriction and Longevity

More on Flavonoids and Cardiovascular Disease

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Robert Barrington

Flavonoids are polyphenolic heterocyclic plant compounds that may have beneficial health properties in humans. Although it is not fully understood why consuming plant foods are beneficial to the health, one reason may be the flavonoids that they contain. Flavonoids are … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthocyanins, Cardiovascular Disease, Catechin, Flavan-3-ols, Flavonoids, Flavonols, Proanthocyanidins, Stroke | Comments Off on More on Flavonoids and Cardiovascular Disease

Fish Oils and Strength Training

Posted on February 10, 2013 by Robert Barrington

Research shows that weight loss in the elderly is associated with an increased risk of all cause mortality, especially when that weight loss occurs from skeletal muscle. Resistance training is one strategy that is effective at preventing loss of lean … Continue reading →

Posted in Docosahexaenoic Acid, Docosanoids, Eicosanoids, Eicosapentaenoic Acid, Elderly, Resistance Training | Comments Off on Fish Oils and Strength Training

Omega 3 Fatty Acids and Allergy

Posted on February 9, 2013 by Robert Barrington

The n-6 to n-3 dietary fatty acid ratio has become unbalanced in large part due to increased intakes of n-6 fatty acid rich oils such as corn, sunflower and rape. This increase in n-6 fatty acids may be contributing to … Continue reading →

Posted in Allergy, Docosahexaenoic Acid, Eicosanoids, Eicosapentaenoic Acid, Essential Fatty Acids, Fish Oils, Immune System, Pregnancy | Comments Off on Omega 3 Fatty Acids and Allergy